A Most Unlikely Saber
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: I took the sword. I picked up the blade. I brought it crashing down on a man's skull. What choice did I have? They were all going to die if I didn't do something. I had to. Gods, I wish I'd never seen that damn cleaver. Now I'm fighting to find redemption in a new war. I just want to help her...even if I'm A Most Unlikely Saber. NarutoxSakura? Narutoxharem? Vote via review !
1. A Most Unlikely Saber

**A/N: Well.**

**How do I put this nicely?**

**Forget it. ****I'm not holding back anymore.**

**I hobbled home from work this evening-might well need a cane now-to find a slew of vitriol waiting in my inbox in regards to my latest story. What in blazes is going on here?**

**Apparently people don't like it when I write Naruko; because A Most Unlikely Lancer got bloody panned. Bombarded even. What was meant to be a joke got me outright harassed and spat upon by a number of people. So consider this story an answer to that. Not unique enough? Not emotional enough? Not invested in him? Can't do better, you say?**

**CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.**

**I've said time and time again that I don't consider entries in the "A Most Unlikely" series to be new stories in the traditional sense. Its all one interconnected universe, pieces of a greater whole. I've all but stopped writing new stories on other fronts. ****Game of thrones references are obvious, as you're about to see, for good sodding reason. ****It just goes to show how one terrible, awful, bad day can shape a person; even if it doesn't break them it still changes them forever. ****This story is going to be heavy, in more ways than one.**

**Oh, and I feel I should state that Saber!Naruto is the possibly the most singularly powerful Servant iteration of Naruto. He's an outright divine spirit. Which is all well and good, considering who he'll be going up against in this war. ****Clearly the quote below here hints where it all went wrong.**

**And aye, this Naruto has a beard. Its in Asuma's style.**

**Hope that helps alleviate any confusion.**

**See you guys and gals tonight~!**

_"Burn the bridge."_

_"But boss, our men are still up there-_

_"Idiot! I don't pay you to think. BURN IT DOWN! NOW!"_

_~a decision that created a legend._

**A Most Unlikely Saber**

_I took the sword._

_I picked up the blade._

_I raised it high, and I brought it crashing down on a man's skull._

_Zabuza's weapon, that hideous, bloodstained cleaver. _**Kubikiribōchō**_ they called it, otherwise known as the decapitating carving knife. Seversword. The Head-Cleaver. A legendary weapon, larger than I was, and thrice as heavy. You'd have to be incredibly brave-or severely stupid-to try and swing a weapon like that at thirteen years. Yet I did. It cut through flesh and armor like paper. As if they weren't there. Sometimes I still hear their screams in my dreams. My nightmares. __Perhaps the cleaver chose me. Perhaps not._

_Perhaps it would've been content to rot in the ground with its old master._

_I didn't let it; no, I suppose you could say that I couldn't. __But what choice did I have?_

_The bridge was burning. Everything was on fire. Everything burned. Fog, flesh, stone. We had nowhere to run. They were all going to die if I didn't do something. It was my first mission-my first REAL mission-and instead we were confronted by a ramshackle mob of thugs. It should've been easy pickings. But we were exhausted, out of options and chakra. They'd hurt us, bled us. They were gone to finish us off. Half-blind, bleeding from my right eye, my face burnt, nearly gone mad with rage and nothing but that sword in sight. __So I **used** the sword; and I killed them all._

_My team never looked at me the same after that. Can't blame them._

_I still remember that scorched grip searing my fingers, burning into my palm as I screamed. It took all my strength just to swing it at first, but swing it I did. Grew easier after a time. From that day on, my world changed forever. The damn thing was near impossible to swing at my size, even with chakra, but still, I held onto it, if only because I felt responsible for the blood it had shed. Eventually, I grew into the damn thing, became strong enough to swing it single-handed. Almost wish I hadn't._

_By then I'd become known for it. _

_Sword demon some called me. __I prefer Sword Saint._

_Saints save people, or at least they try to. They try and try and try._

_Demons...demons don't save anyone. They only burn. They rip and tear and destroy without mercy. What good is a demon? They destroy friend and foe alike and leave only ruin in their wake. I didn't want to be known as something-someone!-like that, so I endeavored to change that. I like to think it worked, for a time. Gods know it earned me enough names. __Saber. S__word in the shadows. __A bulwark between good and evil. __Protector of the innocent. __Defender of the weak._

_Kinslayer._

_Oathbreaker._

_Man without honor._

_But honor doesn't win battles now, does it, little bird? Men do. Swords do. _

_And ninja? Ha! We know next to nothing of honor. __Swordsmen even less, I've found._

_Sometimes, all you can trust is the sword in your hands. A blade may break, but it will never betray you. Some broke at times when I pushed too hard, but my first always repaired itself. A few drops of blood were a small price to pay for its loyalty. In return it helped me fight off my enemies. So many enemies. __It stood strong when I cut the head off a snake. It didn't fail me when I avenged the death of my teacher. It even endured through the rise of an otherworldly goddess and her army. That blade helped me save the world._

_Yet for all I've done, they still curse me._

_Man without honor._

_I'll admit to that one; honor is useless in a fight. Honor gets you killed quicker than a shiv in the back. Why pull your punches? Honor didn't kill that masked man. I did. I tricked him; caught him by surprise and cut him in half when he wasn't prepared. I still don't know who was behind that mask. Frankly, I don't care._

_Oathbreaker__._

_Tell me, what oaths did I break? __So many vows. __They make you swear and swear. Protect the village. Obey your Kage. Defend the weak. Keep the peace. I tried to do all that and more. No. __Its too much. No matter what you do you're forsaking one vow or the other. I did what I thought was right, and protected those I cared about. I didn't go out of my way to be cruel. If that makes me an oathbreaker than so be it. I wielded nine swords in my lifetime, and always in the name of my morals._

_Kinslayer._

_Am I such for killing someone close to me? Perhaps I am._

_Fine. _

_Have it your way, Grail. _

_Lets raise a nonexistent glass to him, then! _

_What an Uchiha he was! Here's to Uchiha Sasuke, first of his name, the last of his clan, and to the sword I shoved in his back. My teammate. My rival. My enemy. He was my friend. He was family. I hated him. I loved him like the brother I'd never had. And now he's dead. All because he couldn't let go of a stupid grudge. He let it consume him, body and sou. His real brother died for him in vain, yet still I tried to save him. He could've taken my hand. We could've been a team again. Instead he stabbed me with a poisoned kunai. He'd become a danger to himself and the village. He couldn't be allowed to live._

_He was nearly blind when I finally cut him down, did you know that? _

_Raving mad too. He ran when he realized he couldn't win. I still remember his last words._

_"Burn them all." he hissed up at me as he choked on his own blood. "I'm going to burn...all...of...you."_

_Burn us in our homes, he said. Burn us in our beds until we were dead. You know...I don't think he expected to die. He probably through he was going to survive somehow, get new eyes and kill all of us in our sleep. He'd made it out or worse scrapes with help before after all. But not this time. I slit his throat to make sure that wouldn't happen. That's where Sakura found me. She judged me, of course. She never said anything to me after that, actually. Just looked at me with those sad, sad green eyes. Yes, I could see why people would name me kinslayer after that._

_I wish he'd listened._

_I wish it hadn't happened._

_I wish things had been different._

_I wish that bridge had never burned._

_I wish I'd never picked up that damn cleaver._

_I wish I never saw the world for what it truly was._

_I wish I'd stayed that naive, foolish boy, without a care in the world._

_I wish, just once in my life, to save someone who needs it. Someone who won't curse me for helping them. Is that so much to ask? I don't care what it costs me. You want an arm? You can have it. I'd give my other eye if I could. __Let that be it. Let that be my redemption. Let me be summoned so I can make an end of things; let me be summoned before I finally go MAD here in the dark..._

**_...please._**

* * *

(...0o0o0...)

* * *

_The worms writhed._

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut as her magic circuits flared with white-hot intensity. Still the worms writhed. Both at her feet and within her body, pain searing up and down the length of her spine as she sat in the pit, her body bent double in another burst of frightful pain. She would not scream. She refused to scream, refused to give grandfather the satisfaction. If she cried out now he would not stop the ritual, he would only strike her, or worse, manipulate the worms to draw more power from her.

She was a Matou now, and she had endured worse than this. Much worse.

So she would stay silent in this, just to spite him.

Another bolt of agony jolted her back.

_'I won't cry,'_ she chanted in a silent mantra, clutching her shoulders. _'Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry..._

She hadn't wanted any of this; not the war, nor the ritual, not any bit of the fighting that was to come. Hers was a gentle soul. She did not enjoy combat as most magi did. She just wanted to spend her remaining peaceful days with Senpai. Even if he didn't notice how she felt, she was happy just being around him. Yet Grandfather had been nigh on relentless, threatening that sole ray of sunshine until she finally complied. She'd thought this would be simple; summon a Servant, use that bloody book to pass them off to Shinji, and wash her hands of the matter.

She had not been prepared for the pain.

Every cell in her body shrieked at her. Every muscle clamped down as one. It made the worms writhe in agony, which in turn took ever more energy from her with each moment. She was going to die if this continued, but she had no way of stopping it. Whatever had responded had her reserves by the throat and throttled them with each passing moment. At the rate her energy was shriveling up someone had indeed answered-must've been absolutely monstrous to drain her this quickly. If this continued overlong, her magic circuits had no chance of sustaining the effort, much less her life. She didn't want to perish, but she could feel her life slipping away from her with every second that slithered by.

_'Am I going to die here?'_

All the while her "grandfather" hunched over his cane, sneering at her suffering.

"Don't fall apart on me now, girl." his raspy, guttural voice made Sakura grit her teeth. "It'd be such a shame after all this effort."

_'Kill him.'_ something dark and ugly reared its head in Sakura's gentle heart as she raised her head to glare at him. _'I'm going to kill him someday. Maybe now, if I can help it.'_

Zouken must've seen it too; because his once lazy posture turned stiff as a stone. He made no move to retreat, but he was most assuredly watching her now. _Good._ That small, dark part of her crooned like a lost lover in her ear, even as she tried to deny it. _He should fear you. Once you're whole, you'll crush him like the worm he is. Let him have a taste, just a taste..._

"Careful now, girl." her so-called guardian's voice rose in a rumbling rebuke. "Do you want me to throw you back in the pit again?"

She grit her teeth at him, even as her body convulsed._ 'I'd rather die.'_

As if sending that very thought, the pain stopped.

With a startling flash of light and laughter and sound-so much sound!-the strain on Sakura's circuits ceased. The shockwave certainly didn't. A harsh burst of red light surged from the summoning circle and cannoned into her mentor's chest to send him sprawling to the dirt in a plume of sundered stone and mangled masonry. Sakura could've laughed, but managed only a tiny gasp. Her circuits were white-hot, every breath rendered itself steam. Someone was laughing, and with an odd pang of relief, she realized it wasn't the old worm.

Why was she smiling?

"Now that's more like it!" a rough, drawling voice boomed from the smoke as it cleared, reverberating harshly against the walls, rippling with power. "Finally, a class I can settle into. Servant, Saber! I have responded to your summons, Master!" Zouken's pallid brow shot up as the smoke cleared to reveal the newcomer, but he was too busy pulling his aching body upright to protest.

Had she the breath to, Sakura would've wept.

_Saber. _Somehow she'd gone and pulled the strongest card.

Despite what some would view as an unparalleled victory, Sakura wanted to cry.

Grandfather would never let her be now; if she tried to foist this new Servant off on Shinji-and didn't a part of her cringe just thinking of him-she could never truly escape this war. She'd been naive to believe otherwise in any case. She'd proven herself capable of snaring one of the most powerful Servants for this war; though that hadn't been her intention at the time. On the contrary she'd hoped to summon a weakling, someone who might loose quickly and thereby remove her from the war.

Still, she could at least _look_ at her Servant.

Grizzled but not old, he nevertheless radiated a rough sort of charm. A lone eye-patch concealed his right eye and an ugly scar behind it, but did nothing to hide the horrid burns marring that side of his face, nor his shaggy blond hair and whiskered cheeks, his jawline framed by a careworn beard. Yet the longer she gazed at him, the more she suspected that scraggly black piece of cloth wrapped about his head served some other purpose. One she couldn't quite grasp.

Eventually her gaze shifted to the rest of him, and what she found there only further served to confirm her suspicions that this was indeed a Saber. He looked like something of a feudal samurai with only minimal armor at that and she glimpsed lean, corded muscles beneath a black-orange cloak behind hakama pants that might've been trousers once upon a time.

Nine separate sheathes adorned his body at the strangest of places, long and short like. Who could possibly need that many blades? And why weas each sheathe _empty?_

Worse was the sword he carried.

More a cleaver than an actual blade, it dominated his broad back, yet he hefted it with ease. A single hand grasped its worn handle, idly tapping the blunted back of the blade against his shoulders with a steady _clack-clack-clack_ of a sound as his bare feet shifted against the stone floor. A lone blue eye flitted about the catacombs-lingering briefly on Zouken-before turning back to her. There was no anger lurking there, only a quiet curiosity. That singular azure orb creased slightly, perhaps taking pity on her and the fading tremors that still wracked her body.

His lips pursed, and she glimpsed a strange, slim metal needle-or was it a reed?-clenched between his teeth before he spoke.

"You got a name, little bird? Or are you going to keep gawking all day?"

A slow heat rose to Sakura's cheeks.

_Little bird._

Such a strange term; it drew a startled blink from the heir and a scoff from Zouken; thankfully the latter was even now basking in her success and didn't immediately speak. He only grinned that ghastly sneer of his as he struggled up on rickety legs. Sakura wasn't fool enough to fall for the act, even when he dared to interject himself on the new arrival.

"Her name is irrelevant, Servant." the words were a laughing rasp. "She is your Master and you will-

"Wasn't talking to you, old fart."

Saber never looked at him.

He didn't even turn.

He just moved.

_Swung._

In a single graceful movement he unlimbered the massive sword from his shoulders and _lobbed it _at Zouken as one would a Frisbee. To his credit the old man jerked back with a flinch and managed to duck to avoid losing his head. Even then the great blade sheared some skin off his scalp as it slammed into the stone above his head. The old man jerked back in a flinch, that false smile slipping from his mouth like rancid pudding. Gone was the kindly act he perpetuated, in its place she glimpsed the wretched creature within, thin skin stretching over his skull as he snarled.

"You dare strike me?!" he hissed, rubbing at his savaged skull. "Know your place, Servant!"

That one eye _pulsed_-Sakura could think of no other word for it-and an invisible fist laid Zouken low once more. By contrast, the hideous creature masquerading itself as a human took the blow without flinching. Wrinkled shoulders shook, but did not shatter. Bent, but did not bow. He only loosed a rattling chuckle.

"You don't seem do understand the situation."

At that, Saber finally deigned to look him in the eye.

"I understand that if one more word comes pouring out your fool mouth, I'm going to kill you."

"Bah. Empty threats. It seems my beloved granddaughter was truly fortunate to summon you after all." heedless of his peril, Zouken cackled as the stoic Saber continued to glower at him. "You may be strong, but your emotions rule every fiber of your being. They make you weak-

That blazing blue eye drifted shut.

_"One thousand cuts."_

"What?"

Matou never saw the blade leave its sheathe until his host body collapsed into a pile of worms. Perhaps that was meant to kill him. Perhaps not. Regardless of the fact, it sent grandfather into an absolute rage. Sakura still did not wholly understand how a rotting pile of worms could convey human speech-frankly it disgusted her-but that tepid mass still managed to howl at them.

_**"Tch! Cheeky brat!"**_ the pile roared, its words a screech!_** "This won't kill me!"**_

"No." Saber admitted freely. "But it'll humble you until I figure out what you are. Now hold still."

Drawing a second blade from the aether-this one wrapped in bandages-the blond raised an arm as if to hurl that one as well. Snarling, the wretched worm pile of worms slithered away into the darkness with a snarl. Saber didn't lower his arm until the hideous sound of their passing finally faded into the distance. It was enough to spur Sakura into speaking again. Anyone willing to so readily make an enemy of the old worm was well worth it in her regard. Still she hesitated, if only just a touch, because she knew there would be a reckoning for this. Zouken wasn't the sort to let a slight go unpunished. He'd try to hurt her with Shinji, or worse...

"I...you didn't have to do that." she murmured, almost to herself, wincing at what she knew would come.

Belatedly she realized her Servant was still waiting on a reply from her. This was not it.

"My name is Sakura." she managed haltingly. "Sakura Matou."

A spark of emotion flickered across his face.

"Sakura, you say?"

A small smile plucked at the corners of his mouth and with a rustle of cloth the blond returned his remaining blade to its resting sheathe between his shoulders. Wordlessly, he dropped to his haunches before her. At such close proximity the purple-haired girl nearly flinched, but he made no move to attack. Nor did he try to grab her face. That vague curiosity had become genuine interest now; joy tempered by a smirk that seemed almost familiar somehow. But that was absurd. She'd never seen this man before.

"I knew a Sakura once." he mused wistfully. "How ironic that I've been summoned by someone with the same name. Seems the Grail has a sense of humor."

His hand settled on her head in a gentle pat and incredibly, Sakura felt her tremors cease. No she realized, they didn't just cease, she felt...revitalized. As if someone had given her a week's worth of prana. The lingering haze that had clung to the corners of her vision for the better part of a week now. Baffled by this sudden surge of vitality, she balked up at him, but that careworn smile didn't fade. As his hand pulled away she swore she saw a mark of some sort etched into his palm. When she blinked it was gone. Surely she'd been imagining things.

"Well then, you can call me Naruto." the Servant declared. "Or Saber. Whichever you like. Seems a fair trade."

...so what now?" she spoke into the silence.

Saber seemed to consider that for a long moment, thumbing his chin. "Now, I'm not much for honor these days, but you called to me, and I answered. Suppose that should mean something."

Sakura didn't expect him to kneel.

Saber did just that, summoning that massive blade from before to his hand. Once more, he bore it down to the floor. But not to attack. Nor to defend. A gesture sank it into the stone, but his gaze never left hers. Even as the stained steel planted itself between them, still he knelt. Even as she climbed gingerly to her feet, he remained still as stone.

"You have my loyalty, for whatever its worth. I'll keep you safe." her Servant swore. "I promise."

Despite her best efforts, the Matou girl felt her lower lip tremble. No. No tears. She refused to cry anymore.

"Don't. You can't protect me." the words sounded dead, even to her own ears. "Don't try to save me, Saber. No one can."

His head snapped up, that lone eye blazed into her soul, and for a moment-just a moment-she believed that he could. His glare said it all; he'd go to hell and back for her. A stray smile danced across his scarred face, but he didn't budge from where he knelt. Despite the fear gripping her heart in an iron vice, Sakura almost giggled with incoherent fear. Was he trying to act like a knight? Swearing his fealty to her as if she were a lady of some sort? She was no such thing; she felt unworthy of such dedication when in truth part of her wanted nothing more than to throw everything away. What had she done to deserve loyalty like this?

She shouldn't be emotional. Yet something in his words-his smile-reminded her of Senpai. That only made it worse. Much worse.

"You_ can't."_ she repeated the words numbly, to him as much as herself. "Don't. I'm not worth it, I'm not-OW!"

Saber's hand descended in a ruthless chop against her hair, drawing a startled yelp from the girl.

It didn't so much sting as it did startle, but it served its purpose regardless.

"Why did you hit me?" she whined, rubbing at her forehead.

_"Because you're spouting bullshit."_

To her mild dismay, Saber scoffed at her and snatched up his blade. In a single fluid movement he stood, casting her in his shadow. Gods. He really was tall, wasn't he? Even on his knee a moment ago he'd easily dwarfed her but now...it was like looking at a giant. When a lone armored arm stretched out to her, fingers splayed, Sakura nearly flinched. Despite his earlier oath, that gruff smile had yet to waver. For a moment she glimpsed an odd hint of hope in that smirk, as though he'd just been reminded of something. Someone.

"Look at me, Master." Saber demanded suddenly.

Something in her cringed, cowering from the sudden strength of his voice. "I...don't want to."

Sakura first instinct was to refuse; thus she turned her head away and tried to slip backwards. Naruto would have none of it. A hand snaked under her chin quick as you please, gently but firmly wrenching her face back to his. Forcing her to look up at him in spite of her fear, in spite of her hesitation, in spite of all the self-loathing Zouken had ground into her. Saber's gaze-his very voice-burned all that away from a brief moment, leaving her emotions bare before his wild, blazing glare. Just a moment. A second. A splinter in time.

**"LOOK AT ME!"**

She complied. She had no choice. Even as his words rattled the stone underfoot. Even as he nearly deafened her. She was naked in the face of that gaze, helpless but to gaze into that lone blue orb. No, she realized with a start; it wasn't blue anymore. Or even red...but gold. Amber. That strange cross-shaped pupil saw right through her; it saw all her sins, all her degradation, everything Shinji and Zouken had ever done to her. Everything, even as she tried to hide.

Incredibly, it creased in a smile.

"Listen. I answered your summons because you wanted someone to help you." He gave her a light jolt of a shake for emphasis, just enough to jar her back to her senses. "Help me, you said. Save me, you said. That was _your_ voice I heard. _You _called me. Now you listen here; I know that _thing _is preying on you. That person." his lips pursed as though he'd sucked on a lemon. "That...worm. I don't know how to kill it. Not yet. But I will. You are going to win this war. You are going to have your wish. And then you and I are going to have a _talk._ Understand?"

"I...

_"Do you. Understand?"_

Mute, she could only manage a timid nod as Saber released her and took a sharp step back. Sakura almost expected another outburst from him. Another shout, or somesuch. It never came. Instead all that burning anger and concern drained from his whiskered visage like a broken sieve. That rough hand descended again, gently-almost fondly-patting her head. A look of pained longing flashed across his face, but whatever emotions Saber felt were never voiced, not here, not in this crypt.

"Good." he beamed, mussing her hair. "I said I'd help you. And I will." His smile hurt her heart. "Even if it kills me."

Once more, Naruto offered her his hand.

"Take it, girl." He urged at her. "Let me help you."

Unbidden, Sakura's right hand twitched at her side. She shouldn't. She mustn't.

To be offered hope again after so long many years was more than simply surprising. It was painful. Like a sun thrust into a darkened room that had never seen the light of day. It was such a far cry from Senpai and his blissful, lovable ignorance of her situation; here was someone actually Sakura remembered the fate of the last person who'd tried to "help" her all too well. Time had done nothing to dull that memory and the wounds it had left on her heart. Uncle Kariya. He'd died right in front of her. Grandfather had fed him to the worms that night and laughed. That was the price for his defiance.

Surely Saber would meet such a fate, Servant or no. It didn't matter how strong he was. All who dared oppose Zouken or Shinji...disappeared, one way or another.

It was simply the way of things.

"You don't have to do anything else." Naruto's voice cut through the dark haze descending on her thoughts, sharper than any blade. "Jut take my hand."

Such thoughts were folly, but Sakura's trauma ran deep and instinct wasn't something so easily culled, no matter how much she might wish otherwise. Her body locked up, her hand balling into a fist even as she thought to raise it. She'd be a fool to trust her Servant; much less take his hand. Grandfather was eternal. Grandfather was absolute. Nothing could kill him. Not even a warrior of the Grail...or so she told herself.

And yet..._and yet...!_

For the first time in years, the voice of a little girl cried out deep in her heart, screaming out for someone-anyone!-to hear her desperate plea. To have someone actually offer her that salvation-one who had the strength to back it up!-was almost too much to bear. She thought of Senpai again; but despite her feelings toward them, despite the hope that they would one day be realized, that cold, quiet part of her reared its head. _He can't help you,_ the voice hissed again. _You know that. You love him, but you know he can't._ She did. Shirou could never stand against Grandfather. It hurt her just to admit it, but there it was.

Tears swelled in her eyes. "I don't deserve it."

"Yes," that weathered face crinkled in a smile. "You do."

In the end, for better or worse, Sakura reluctantly took his hand.

There, in that pivotal moment, the poor girl's world gradually began to shift.

It was only one piece in the puzzle. A tiny fragment, a small part of the greater whole. Yet it changed her.

Some might say the world burned because of that gentle hand. That the events following could be traced back here, to this very moment. Some would argue otherwise. They would say that the world was saved because of that hand, that quiet hope looming in the dark. Perhaps it was the shadow that ravaged the world. Perhaps it was the grail itself. Perhaps it was the golden king. Tales would vary in the coming days, loud and numerous, a veritable storm of squawking cross on the wind. Who can say what end would come of this?

_Regardless, Sakura would never be the same again._

**A/N: Ho boy.**

**Had some real emotions writing this.**

**Sakura summoned Naruto as a Saber. None of that Dragon Blade malarkey. One with MULTIPLE swords. Sakura saw them. Did you?**

**As a clarification, Naruto doesn't rightly know what Zouken his, and the old worm hasn't spoken enough to draw his ire. He knows _something _is wrong with him-and likewise Sakura-but not what. ****At a stray glance our boy can't tell what's going on there. But once he does, once he finds a way to kill Zouken safely...ohohohoho...**

**Now one might well assume that our boy's personality seems to be a blend of Sandor Clegane and Jaime Lannister sprinkled with a touch of Zaraki Kenpachi, but that's intentional. He's still the same sunny boy we all know, he just doesn't like to show it as much. Would you after what he's been through? ****They say killing a god changes a man, but Naruto was already different long before that, wasn't he? **

**He warmed up to Sakura the moment she mentioned her name...and the moment he realized what was wrong with her.**

**Shirou will still get Artoria of course...but it ain't going to be her Saber form, clearly. This also all but takes Medusa out of the picture, which is a shame, but I already have a story focusing on her, so a second such tale seemed redundant. Clearly someone else is going to be summoning a Rider, but who, oh who...?**

**Now I'm sure many are wondering who has what in this war, so here's some clarification:**

**Sakura= Naruto (SABER)**

**Illya= ?**

**Shirou= Artoria (LANCER)**

**Bazett= ?**

**Rin= Emiya (ARCHER)**

**Zouken= ?**

**Souchiro= ?**

**Kirei= Gilgamesh (Previously the Archer of the last war)**

**There.**

**Four empty spots.**

**Vote on 'em if ye dare~!**

**Let it not be said that I don't listen to the fans.**

**As ever, this'll be gone in_ two days_ if people don't like it.**

**Gods know A Most Unlikely Lancer got me chewed the hell out for making Naruto a girl. I ain't doing that shit again. I'll be honest. I'm a little upset. I don't get paid to do this, and my writing time is all but reduced to a few hours a day. So when I have people calling me all sort of ghastly names...well. A man gets a bit angry. (EDIT) Thankfully I've had most of them taken down by now, but those words still linger and I admit, my enthusiasm is a bit...colder now.**

**Now back to the 'ol double shift, once again, with only an hour in between.**

**Looking forward to reading your reviews when I get back.**

**So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly?**

**And enjoy the previews!**

**(Previews!)**

_"Why do you fight for that rotten thing?"_

_"That "thing" is my Master. You will address her proper. Properly!"_

* * *

_"You reek of divinity."_

_"A rotten god is no god at all, Archer. Now scram before I cut you."_

_"Ho?" a sneer answered him. "You're surprisingly confident. Might that have something to do with your Master?!"_

_He barely blocked when that towering sword came for his head; even then he felt both blades begin to fracture from the act._

_"Fine." That lone blue eye now blazed like a burning ruby in Saber's skull. "If you want to go back to the Grail that badly I'll oblige!" _

* * *

_"Stop! I'm your Master!"_

_Naruto exhaled slowly. __"I have only ever had one Master since I was summoned. And you are clearly not her." as the boy shrank back from him, he drew his blade. "I tried to teach you. You did not listen." his tongue clicked in mild admonishment as the boy skittered back on all fours like a drunken spider. "You did not learn. I offered you sound advice. You rejected it. Worse, you tried to make me devour an innocent's soul! **THEIR SOUL!" **__That ghastly voice shook the world like thunder and the blue-haired boy squealed like a struck pig, cowering. **"HOW DARE YOU!"**_

_"No, MASTER," Saber raised his sword, his voice dripping with vitriol, "I don't think I'll be feeling any guilt about this whatsoever. Such a shame that an enemy Servant got to you before I could save you. Sakura will be so upset. Such a tragic accident, truly. She will mourn you, I think." he advanced on the bloodied boy, hefting his blade with eerie grace. "But she will be a better person with you gone from this world. And in that, your death will serve some purpose. Take some meager satisfaction in that, if you will." __Then he moved._

_"Nonononono PLEASE-_

_"You're shit at dying, you know that?!"  
_

_With a roar, Saber brought the blade down on Shinji's head with all the force of an avalanche._

* * *

_Saber was staring at her again._

_"Are you...alright?" he asked softly._

_Sakura stiffened. __She suspected he had done something to Shinji, but this strange duality confounded her all the same.__ She'd been blacking out with frightful frequency of late, yet Saber had not spoken of it. __He knew, didn't he?_

**R&R~! =D**


	2. Listen Well

**A/N: I'm likely going on vacation after this, work permitting.**

**Not sure when I'll be back, but I've got a trusted friend to watch my account and keep the updates coming for awhile-ones that I've written out weeks in advance-so many of you should at least be provided with your fiction fix.**

**What's that? I sound angry?**

**Hmm. I suppose I am, given the situation...**

**...let it be known that I do NOT enjoy being called a dumb fuck.**

**That's actually worth noting ****considering my self-esteem's worse than Hashirama's...**

**Long story short, when people insult me, I don't write. When I don't write, I don't update. Simple as that. ****Spamming hateful words and reviews that reek of napalm will only make me clamp down all the more, you know. ****If you have a problem tell me in clear concise terms. Don't tell me to go jerk off in a sock or kill myself or hang my dog.**

**Bloody hell.**

**I hobbled home this evening to get smacked with vitriol and complains about "A Most Unlikely Beast" and how dark it got.**

**So lets explain:**

**A Most Unlikely Beast isn't the end of the Most Unlikely Series, he's just the second Act. An antagonist. One starting with the weaker iterations of himself and working his way up. He's in for a RUDE awakening if he thinks he can just trample the Nasuverse like some raging Berserker. ****As we've seen, that world tends to bite back. HARD. ****Furthermore that Naruto is not a traditional "Beast" in the Nasuverse sense, but styles himself as one, false though he is. Tiamat or Goetia would absolutely ruin his day if he tried to face them. ****So there.**

**A Most Unlikely Collection got shredded as well, via anonymous spamming and private messages. Not to mention jack all in reviews.**

**Have an update then.**

**Because I'm truly irritated.**

**There, now that we've gotten that out of the way...**

** Would someone be a dear and give "A Most Unlikely Rider" and "A Most Unlikely Shielder" or "A Most Unlikely Collection?" a review? Those are my babies and have some of the craziest characters in the series, yet they get so very little love, and well, it would make an ailing man happy, and I write better when I'm happy, you know?**

**Now lets go over the classes I've yet to cover:**

**Now I COULD go with the (True) Rider variant set outside of Fate Extra and other (False) Servant variations, not to mention the Grand Servants...but that's a bit much. Even for me. ****So lets settle for Gunner (Newcomer) Saver, (Being Written) Moon Cancer (Being Written) A Most Unlikely Master (True/Apocrypha) and finally...**

**...Grail!Naruto.**

**One that does the bidding of an uncorrupted Grail and tries to find out what the devil is going on with all these Servants.**

**They'll all meet sooner or later! ****Now enough chit-chat!**

**Have your long awaited update, and I...**

**...well! ****Time for a vacation~!**

**See you all later~!**

_"Who...are you?"_

_"Just a humble swordsman. No one special."_

_...I must disagree. You're exceptionally skilled with that sword."_

_"And you've got some small skill yourself. Less talking, more fighting!"_

_~Lancer vs. Saber!_

**Listen Well**

_"Are you alright with this?"_

_Naruto wanted to shout; to shake his head-shake Sakura!-and tell her this was foolishness. A mistake. Instead he held his tongue as she questioned him, idly watching her wrap a red ribbon around his right wrist. A favor of some sort. How quaint. The sight of it almost made him smile. __Years of mental and physical pollution couldn't be undone overnight-even by the likes of him-but he wanted to believe he'd made a positive impact on her psyche, at least. He must have, and she on him, if he was letting her tie a bloody ribbon to his arm._

_Yest, he liked to think he'd made an impact._

_She was his Master. She would always "be" his Master, even if she transferred ownership to another. Part of him understood the theory behind it; Sakura was a gentle soul; she did not enjoy war, nor did she like to hurt others. That was rare enough. But to willingly-voluntarily!-give up ownership of a Servant was something else entirely. It__ endeared her to him all the more. __In that moment, Saber decided. __He would live for this girl. __Die for her, if he must.__ Not because he believed her to be HIS Sakura reincarnated-he didn't!-but rather, because he wanted to help her. How long had it been since he'd genuinely wanted to help someone? She deserved so much more than a scummy swordsman like him, but he'd try to live up to her standards._

_So he'd shrugged and said:_

_"Your will be done-_

"Stop daydreaming and get out here already, Saber!"

_'Why did I agree to this again? Oh, right. Because I'm an idiot.'_

A lone blue eye drifted open irritably as Shinji's abrasive voice called out to him in the waning light. With a long suffering sigh born of dealing with _entirely_ too many fools for one lifetime, Naruto reluctantly roused himself from thoughts and willed his body to manifest. Materializing from the aether in a shower of golden dust, he answered the boy's call. _Slowly._ If the brat was going to be an ass about this, then he saw no need to make nice with him. In fact he was debating killing him outright, or just letting a Servant "slip" by when he wasn't looking...

"I was not, "spacing out" as you call it." despite his own inner turmoil, his voice remained as flat as he to stand beside his contractor. "I was meditating."

A blatant lie of course, but he wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of admitting his wrongs. Not to him. Not this...waste of space. As if sensing that thought, the fingers of his right hand twitched. Stubbornly, he stilled them. No. Not yet. As tempting as it might be to gut the little shit, it would arouse suspicion were he to perish by his blade. Best to let someone else do it.

Ah, but his false Master was talking now, and he tried to make sense of the endless animal bleat:

"On what?" the blue-haired boy asked as his Servant stepped past him, only to sulk as the blond ignored him. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

An irritated snort floated past on the wind. "The past and the folly of boys too big for their britches."

"What did you say?!" Shinji jerked upright. "And call me Master, damnit!"

Shinji Matou wasn't much to look at; and Naruto had the rare privilege of being able to read one's soul. He did not like what he found there. Thin and callow, young and shallow, with grey eyes and blue hair like seaweed. There were redeeming qualities to be sure, but they were so steeped in muck and grime and _arrogance _as to be missed completely. But he was a patient man; he would give the boy three chances to prove himself. In the span of an hour he'd already wasted two; the first being that they should seek out a Servant once the sun set, not before.

The second was trying to make him eat an innocent's soul. He'd put a stop to that right quick and Shinji wisely hadn't broached the subject again. This idiotic insistence that he call him "Master" was grating on his nerves and moving dangerously close into third strike territory.

Despite his best efforts, a stray muscle jumped in the blond's jaw.

The smile that followed threatened to split his scarred face. _"Are you worthy of being my Master?"_

Shinj all but sputtered. "Of course, I am-

That same lazy azure orb drifted ponderously over his shoulder to regard his temporary Master for a long, piercing moment. It silenced the runt more than any attack ever could. To his credit, Shinji actually managed to meet his gaze but faltered almost immediately when the blond bared his teeth at him. Naruto noted that as a failure on the boy's part. Lovely. The boy lacked the will to stand strong in the face of adversity. Yet another mark against the Matou. Another reason to kill him.

"As I thought." Turning away from this waste-of-space he focused his attention on the trees beyond, gazing at the rustling leaves in the light of the setting sun. "Now make yourself useful and follow me."

"Why you...?!"

"Yes?" that blazing eye rounded on him again as Naruto turned to face him fully. "Is there something you'd like to say?"

"I...this isn't how its supposed to be!" Shinji quailed, but refused to relent, hands balling at his sides as his Servant waded headlong into the thicket., forcing him to follow "You're supposed to listen to me! I'm to give the orders! Not the other way around!"

A blond brow rose as Naruto peeled back a particularly stubborn branch among branches. "Am I? And what exactly have you done to warrant my respect, Shinji?"

The blue-haired boy jerked back as if he'd been slapped, and not because said branch had just smacked him in the face.

"Respect? I don't under-_blech!"_ his hands flailed frantically, batting leaves out of his face. "What do you mean?"

"Its simple." this time Naruto unbent enough to lift a log out of the boy's path before he could trip on it. "If we're going to work together we need to trust one another. And _you _have to get rid of that chip on your shoulder, fast. You remind me too much of Sasuke by half, and that's not a good thing."

"Who?"

"Someone I had to kill. Someone you _desperately_ don't want to be." As he looked on, Saber drew a blade and expertly cut through a tangle of vines. "Just listen, will you? Despite appearances to the contrary, I'm actually trying to give you some sound advice here." he paused, allowing Shinji to duck under his arm and the old blade it held for good measure. "Its important that you understand. Regardless of what these titles imply, I'm no servant of yours, anymore than you're a master of me. We're partners in this. Two souls working together to reach the Grail." a pointed look followed. "Do you understand?"

"But you're still my Servant." the boy put in mulishly. "You have to do what I say. Don't you?"

"No." Naruto bit out, fighting down a violent impulse, "I don't. I choose to."

"But I have these Command Spells!" he cried out, clutching at him.

"Which you received from Sakura." Naruto pointed out.

Shinji absolutely hissed; looking back Naruto couldn't have known it, but that was the worst possible thing to say. The one trigger that was sure to set the boy off. That bitch. He hated her. Loathed her. She was nothing to him. No one. Just something to be used. Any goodwill he might've built up dissolved in that instant. Had he known the horrors the boy had inflicted on Sakura he would've struck then and there; lopped the boy's head off without a second thought. Sadly, he did not, so some semblance of sense stayed his hand and stilled his sword.

"She isn't your master now!" he held up the Book of False Attendant, granted him by Zouken. "I am! You owe me your allegiance! I'll _make_ you obey if I have to!"

Another branch snapped back, striking the blustering boy in the face with a harsh crack.

"Don't be an idiot." Naruto reprimanded. "You can command me three times. What happens then?"

"Sh-Shut up!"

"So we're back to slinging threats, are we?" the whiskered warrior clicked his tongue. "I don't know what I expected."

The disappointment in that lone eye was almost too much to bear; if only because it reminded him of the same expression Zouken had given him all his life. Not pity. Scorn. As if he'd had such high hopes for him, only to have them dashed. Somehow, losing Saber's trust stung more than he would've liked to admit. He knew Sakura's-his!-Servant was strong, there could be no doubting that. But unlike a certain Rider, this one wasn't willing to tolerate him overlong for her sake. This one was all too willing to talk back, and as he'd proven earlier, strike him when necessary. Oh. He understood now. This one was still loyal to Sakura. Yes. That must be it. Was she laughing at him even now? Mocking him? It galled Shinji. Infuriated him to no end...!

"I said be quiet!"

...as you wish." came the reply.

Naruto bit back a groan but kept forging ahead, forcing him to keep apace lest he be lost in the dying light. So close! He'd been so close to a breakthrough. Now he wanted to beat the boy's brains in. Or, barring that, give him a good hard shake. Maybe that would knock some sense into him. Did he truly not comprehend the value of this lesson? Moreover, what he was trying to teach him here? If you wanted respect, you had to be worthy of that same respect. You had to _earn _it. That was the entire purpose of this. How else could they be expected to cooperate with one another? Granted, he didn't _want_ to, but he was at least willing to try for Sakura's sake. But his patience was beginning to fray like an old rope and he could only endure so much.

When they finally reached a clearing he spun, seized Shinji by the collar, and flung him headlong into the dirt.

"ORAH!"

Watching the little idiot skid and skip along the ground gave the scarred blond more relief than a thousand kills. Oh. His head had struck an upturned rock just now. That looked painful. Pity it hadn't finished him off. Just as the boy began to rise, Naruto stepped in and planted a boot against his back, pinning him to the ground.

"Hey! Stop it! I said stop, Saber" the aspiring magus wailed! "What are you doing?!"

"Shinji Matou." the voice rose around him like a death knell. "You fail."

"F-Fail?" he squeaked the word out.

_"Precisely."_

Just like that, the boot came free and the poor boy scrambled to scrape himself off the ground. Instinctively he readied a retort, some waspish snipe at his Servant's expense. What he found waiting for him there stilled his soul. That lone azure orb wasn't blue anymore; no longer the placid color of endless oceans stretching into the distance. Somewhere between the time he'd been thrown to the ground and trod upon, its color had changed, somehow. Such a simple thing was relatively common in the magus world, but the sight of it stilled him all the same.

It was red.

Scarlet and slitted, the color of fresh blood, glaring at him now as though he were little more than an ant. Not the eye of a man or even a beast, but of something far greater glaring at him.

"What was that for?!"

"Shinji, Shinji, Shinji." with each declaration of his name, Saber shook his head. "I have only had one Master and you are clearly not her." those words slit the throat of his pride, bleeding it more surely than Zouken ever could. "Maybe I was a fool for trying to teach you anything, but now," His head gave a slight tilt, considering him as one would a bug. "Maybe I should just kill you, so I can go back to her."

Shinji stiffened.

"That slut? She's no good for anything but-

Samehada swept up under his chin, cutting him off with a lurch.

_"Careful."_ the words were a purr as the barbed blade brushed against his throat, peeling at his skin. "I may tolerate you for Sakura's sake, but I'm not above letting you have an...accident. This is your last chance." the words damned him. "Keep your mouth shut, don't do anything stupid, and maybe, _just maybe _I'll keep you alive. For now. But if you make one more mistake...

Thankfully, it never came to that.

Without warning, a sudden surge of prana lit up his senses like wildfire. Coming from the south, but easily noticeable if one knew what to look for. And he was more attuned to nature than most. Shinj never noticed, he just kept braying on like a donkey. Naruto tuned him out and willed his senses to sharpen as his voice faded to dull static. His visible eye began to gleam golden as he tugged on the life of the world; asking, without taking. Offering a silent prayer to the world as he'd been taught in the later years of his life. Recognizing him and the unusual respect he displayed as a proper spirit, it responded happily and granted him all he needed.

After all, even in life Naruto had learned it was always better to ask rather than take. Still, it almost surprised him how...willing the planet was to part with his natural energy.

It beat being actively rejected; he couldn't handle that with Shinji as his Master.

"Oh, thank god." he muttered.

_"What was that?"_

Naruto choked down the urge to strangle him again. "Nothing."

He'd had to bully Shinji just to come here in the first place, even then it had been like pulling teeth. After all, the boy had unknowingly given him a great boon by changing the battlefield. He'd already refused to eat souls back in the park to increase his power, yet thankfully there was another way to boost his strength. Even in this weakened state-he barely had enough energy to swing a sword with Shinji serving as his Master-he was more than able to draw from the abundant natural energy around him, the better to enhance his body and skills. Presently, he had enough for a good hard fight. Maybe more if he tore off the eye-patch, but that was an event he wished to avoid at all costs.

Thus when the clatter of hooves finally reached his ears, he was all too ready for a fight. One could say he was expecting it, even.

Astride a great white stallion she stormed into the clearing, sending Shinji shrieking for cover.

And by cover, that meant cowering behind his back like a craven.

He was _not _prepared for her to come galloping in on a horse with her Master clinging to her back for dear life. For it was most assuredly a young woman under that heavy plate. Armor could only hide so much. That she'd charge headlong through the undergrowth was a given considering their distance; she surged towards the two of them, utterly ignoring the possibility that the area might've been booby trapped well beforehand. Not that Naruto would ever do such a thing. He'd sadly had that skill sealed upon being summoned as a Saber; even had he deigned to do so, something told him she would've blitzed through them regardless.

"She's here!" Shinji's voice muffled itself against his back. "Don't let her kill me, Saber!"

"Will you shut your fool mouth?" Naruto hissed and hefted his sword. "You're a man, aren't you? Grow a spine!"

Shinji only clung to him tighter.

With a long-suffering sigh he stood fast as she rode around them.

Had he known her, he might've compared her appearance to that of a young girl named Artoria, but with more mature features. Clad in silver-blue armor that bore a great flowing cloak alongside a stern helmet carved to resembling a fierce lion with a mane, he didn't get a good look at her...at first. Imagine his surprise then, when she reached up and tore the helmet away from her face. Though she'd tied her long hair in a bun, she still projected an earnest aura despite the golden crown atop her head; indeed, those emerald eyes were full of life and emotion, yet composed. His gaze strayed to the weapon clutched in her right hand, a pale shaft of brilliance bound by white chords. It seemed to pulse softly as he looked at, responding to a kindred spirit.

The weapon...Lancer. She had to be. Or was she a Rider?

Thankfully, the Servant confirmed his suspicions not a moment later.

"Ho, there! Well met, fellow Servant!" she called out, restraining her mount as it reared. "I am Lancer! Might thou be of the Saber class?"

Naruto felt his mouth twitch in the beginnings of a grin.

There was something charming about her archaic speech; something that put a smile on his face. It almost felt familiar-as though he'd heard it another life-centuries past. Like seeing a long lost friend for the first time in years. No, more than that...but he couldn't rightly put his finger on it. Slinging Samehada's sheathed sword against his shoulder

"Well, if its classes were on about, you've got the right of it." smirking, he sketched a shallow bow and responded in the same, flowing speech. "I'm definitely Saber."

"Excellent!" A brilliant smile bloomed on that angelic face. "I have done battle with a dishonorable fiend already. It is fitting to see someone who stands his ground. I like that. Will you face me?"

A blond brow rose.

"You're a bold one, aren't you?"

Lancer sniffed, but her smile didn't wane. "I simply wish for a fair fight. An honorable duel," she clarified at his pensive expression. "Surely you can at least grant me that, Saber?"

Despite his best efforts, a short bark of laughter escaped the whiskered warrior.

"Fine, but don't cry when you lose, Goldilocks."

_Gods, why did this feel so familiar?_

Fun wasn't something one considered when wading into a life-or-death battle, but this banter...talking with her...it put a smile on his face.

Honor meant less than spit to him, but he had no intention of denying Lancer the battle she sought. Now if only her Master would looking at him as though he'd seen a ghost. The look rather reminded him of the first time he'd seen Zabuza; that ashen face, those wide eyes. He wasn't trying particularly hard to intimidate anyone. On the contrary, he was quite content at the moment. Perhaps his presence was simply that oppressive against humans as a whole. Hmm. Being on the other side of that horrified stare was enlightening.

Hmm. He'd have to remember this feeling.

Of course, Shinji chose that moment to start squawking again. "EMIYA?! Is that you?!"

This in turn riled up Lancer's Master all the more. "Shinji?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

_Definitely_ some history there to be sure, but Naruto didn't care a wit for it. He only had eyes for the woman before him, and she him. Those wide green eyes were locked on him the moment they encountered one another on the battlefield. He watched her gently nudge her Master down from her mount's back and he promptly did the same for Shinji...though less gently. With a growl he shook himself free from the seaweed-haired boy and thrust him forward.

"You're giving me a headache!" when his Master tried to retreat he received a harsh chop to the head for his efforts. "Stand up already!" Naruto roared! "Fight your own battles!"

"B-B-But...!"

"I'm not telling you to fight Lancer! Fight her Master!"

Shinji perked up.

"Thy Master speaks the truth, young one." Lancer's voice rose in agreement as she prodded her own contractor forward with the butt of her spear. "Mine is more than capable of facing you in single combat. Is that not why we have assembled here?"

The boy known to him now as Emiya gave her a flat look of disbelief, but Naruto was more than happy to seize the opportunity.

"You heard her, runt." A hard shove sent him stumbling forward. "Go. Fight your friend. Try not to die." Samehada sang in his grasp as he leveled it forward. "This is my fight."

Shinji seemed to recover a bit at that.

What was he so afraid of? It was only Emiya. What could he possibly do? He wasn't a magus, not in a true sense of the word. He however, still had the book. Yes. He could use the shadow spell from that to kill him, at the very least. No...anyone in his way would die. Even a former friend. He could do this. He would do this. Not just for his wish, but for his ego as well; to prove that he wasn't a failure. Now that he knew he wouldn't have to fear Lancer's spear at his back, he felt almost...bold. Confident, even. Of course he did. He would only feel such when he was facing someone he thought he could beat.

"C'mon then, hero." he sneered the word, pawing at his Book of False Attendant like a lifeline. "Lets see what you're made of."

...I don't want to fight you, Shinji."

_"Don't, or can't?"_

"If it makes you feel any better, he tried to make me swallow the soul of some human girl. " Naruto called out with deliberate ease, despite knowing his words would land his faux-Master in a world of trouble. Shinji felt all the color drain from his face at what followed. "I think her name was...Tiger-something or other? I refused of course, but it really makes him a bit of a sleaze, doesn't it?"

Shirou's gaze turned vengeful.

Just like that, the confidence guttered out in Shinji. "Saber?! You traitor!"

Something hardened in Shirou's eyes, but Naruto didn't deign to listen to his response nor Shinji's shriek. Perhaps, had he done so, he would've heard something more interesting. Alas, he did not; by the time Shirou spun to attack Shinji he was already striding forward, heedless of his Master slinking off deeper into the woods. Credit where it was due, Lancer didn't spare her precious Master a second glance. She either had faith in him, or was too eager to do battle. He couldn't help but wonder which.

"You're not worried about him?"

"Shirou is an adequate Master and an excellent cook." the buxom blond declared from atop her steed. "I have full confidence in his skills."

Naruto blinked. "Can't help but notice you mentioned the cooking bit."

"A-And what of it?" she sputtered. "My opinion hasn't changed, no, not in the least!"

Was that a touch of heat in her cheeks just now? No. Surely not. Gods. She wasn't blushing.._.she actually was._

Naruto palmed his face, and his resolve faltered, if only for a moment. Despite being a grown woman, there was just something so...childish about her expression just now. She'd struck him as the painfully honest sort to begin with but this...this was just too painful. He almost couldn't bear to swing his sword at someone who genuinely appeared to be such a purehearted and genuinely good person. Well, in for a penny in for a pound. Might as well press the advantage while he could.

"I don't suppose I could convince you to get off the horse?" he asked her plaintively. "Its not really fair for me, y'know?"

Lancer's gaze turned heated-likely from his unintentional insult-but she made no attempt to oblige him. Fair enough. He'd expected that.

"And why should I grant your request?"

...I'd really rather not kill your horse if its all the same to you." he retorted honestly, stilling the ever-restless Samehada in his grasp. "Killing such a noble animal, no matter the cause, just feels...cruel."

Lancer actually paused to consider his words.

"As you wish."

To his initial dismay she did just that; both dismissing and dismounting said steed as she slid from its fading back to land before him with a solid clunk. Her lance pulsed again, burning brightly in the gloom. He raised his own weapon to meet it. There it was again, the fleetest feeling of nostalgia-as though he'd crossed blade with another such being before-gone as he grasped at it. Shaking himself and a passing sense of sorrow, he took a step forward. Then another. And another. By the third, Artoria was moving to meet him.

That ancient, peerless lance was now a star in her grasp, almost painful to gaze at. "Here I come, Saber!"

He dropped into a low stance, scraping the ground with Samehada. "Bring, it Lancer!"

All the world became motion.

Looking back, he couldn't say who reached the other first; only that someone did. At the last instant he shifted Samehada to his right hand called the Head Cleaver to his left; it proved a wise decision given that he nearly took Lancer by surprise and cleaved that pretty little head from her shoulders. Instead of spearing him through the heart as she'd intended, the blond found herself forced to abort her charge and seek shelter behind her almighty lance as his assault nearly hammered through her guard. Riposting, she danced away, leaving the looming weapons to crash headlong into the soil underfoot.

Undaunted, he spun and used the weight of Samehada as a springboard, launching himself back at her like a missile.

For her part Artoria didn't waver in the face of what she must've seen as a suicidal charge; she merely twirled her lance and stepped in to meet him in a blistering exchange of blows.

Sword met spear and neither yielded; rather they collided again and again until one finally tasted blood.

Her weapon found his face and tore a thin incline against his forehead before she realized she'd been had. It wasn't a charge at all, but rather a feint, one he ducked under and struck upward with his right blade. Caught at an awkward angle she could only try and angle her body away from the barbed blade.

She did not entirely succeed.

Lancer must've realized what he intended, but by then he was already upon her, Samehada swooping down like a hungry shark. Her serene visage narrowed in a grimace as the barbed blade punctured her armor and bit into her side; a raging blast of light burst from her spear and scorched his thigh before he pivoted aside, leaving the beam to gouge a dint in the soil he'd just stood on. So confounded was he by this sudden use of artes thathe nearly failed to dodge in time when she reared back and flung another blast at him. He batted it back with his blade, sending her tumbling into the dirt.

"Beams?!" he coughed, waving a plume of smoke from his lone eyes. "Seriously?! What kind of Lancer are you?! Moreover, what kind of lance is _that?!"_

This time, he noted a wariness to Lancer as she picked herself up, as she circled him. Not anger, but a touch of...concern.

"And yet you wield dual swords." the way her brow furrowed, it was almost an accusation. " 'Tis hardly fair."

"Not quite." Naruto straightened with a bemused hum, somewhat pleased by her newfound hesitation as she worked to maintain the distance between them. No doubt she was looking for an opening. "I wielded many swords while I was alive. In my current state-thanks to a certain Seaweed brat!-these are the best I can muster at the moment." Perhaps it was foolish of him to be so honest with an enemy Servant, but he'd always been honest; even as a Servant that malady hadn't left him, much to his chagrin.

She shared a grimace with him as their shared circle drew closer still. "I...understand. I cannot claim to be at my peak either. Far from it, in fact."

"I thought you said that boy of yours was an adequate Master?"

"He is." her head bobbed as the distant sounds of battle rang further down the path. "I simply require more mana than most...and he is not the archetypal magus."

His head bobbed. "I know that feeling. I've got a bit of a handicap myself. Not sure how long I'll be able to keep this up."

Respect dawned in those emerald orbs. "Then I shall not shame you by holding myself back!"

He surged in to meet her rush. "Wouldn't respect ya you if you did!"

He struck low, and she swung high.

In a single fluid motion his fellow blond parried and he in turned parried _that_ parry. Armor bent and flesh buckled as each drew blood, but never said the world yield. Naruto caught himself grinning, and in turn glimpse a small smile from his opponent as they Once more their world dissolved into a storm of light and steel, near-divine weapons snarling against one another in a sinful sursurus of sparks. Her footwork proved half a beat too slow and he struck out with Samehada, nearly hobbling her and forcing her to leap over the barbed blade before deflecting the other.

"You're too slow with all that armor." he taunted.

Wrong thing to say, that.

"Ho?"

Rather than rise to his retort, Lancer retaliated by planting her feet and banishing more of her armor in an attempt to more more freely. Unfortunately in doing so, she revealed the flattering figure lurking beneath clad in little more than thin blue cloth and a red mantle. Saber felt his unsealed eye blink and despite years worth of training, caught himself staring for the merest of moments at her tall, curvaceous figure. Among...other things.

_Holy hell, you could balance drinks on those._

"Why do you stare overlong, Saber?" Lancer inquired innocently.

...I'm not sure where to look." he confessed. Was she really that naive?!

"Very well!" Heedless of his reaction, she surged in to meet him. Then I shall come to you! Prepare!"When she lunged at him again, he thought himself prepared; he was not. Rhongomyniad's speed had him on the back foot . Further back. Yet further still. With each strike he found himself retreating, until a stray thrust wrenched Samehada from his hand and forced him to cling to the Head Cleaver and fought for his dear life. Every attack found itself redirected, every assault flung back in his face as he slipped further

Damnit.

With each blow he felt his strength waning, more and more effort put into his blocks. His arms rattled against each successive hit. Sage chakra could only sustain him so long, and Shinji had no mana to give him. For all of his power, he simply couldn't fight if he lacked a steady supply of energy. Were he alive, he could've raged across the forest for hours. Days even. But as a Servant...well. He was being painfully reminded of those limits at this very moment. Still, he would go down fighting if nothing else, even if it meant-

"Saber!" Shinji's wrenching wail cut through the beautiful battle euphoria that had been building to this very moment. "Kill Emiya! Kill him now! Don't let him hurt meeeeeeeee!"

The weight of a Command Spell crashed down on him and Naruto snarled as he struggled against it. How in the hell had he screwed that up?! His guard faltered and he could only snarl as Lancer's weapon slipped through to pierce the point of his shoulder. That did it; the little shit wouldn't live to see the next sunrise. His death might wound Sakura, but it would be for the best.

But moreso, the little bastard had dissapointed him.

_'Damnit. I warned him.'_

With a blinding flourish he summoned Samehada and slammed it into the ground between him and Lancer. It did little more than startle her, causing the buxom blond to bound back half a pace. Saber made no attempt to pursue. A lone hand rose, awkwardly scratching the back of his head when she made no move to continue their fight.

"I'm terribly sorry about this, Lancer." he paused, sheepishly scratching at the back of his head. "But I'm going to have to put our fight on hold."

"Fiend!" she bristled. "I will not simply let you attack-

"I promise, I have no intentions of attacking your Master." his blade snapped up to intercept her lance with a shriek of steel, but only just. "You have my word. I just need to shut mine up. You're more than welcome to follow. If I take his life then you can take my head."

...as you will."

He didn't walk after his Master; he veritably bolted toward him.

What he found there nearly drew a smile from him; or it would have, if he hadn't been so utterly furious. Not only had Shirou procured a broken branch from somewhere, but he'd managed to reinforce it and beat poor Shinji half to death with it. No wonder he'd called from him. Kid's face was a ruined mass of swollen bruises as he lay against the ruined trunk of a tree, and Emiya looked keen on finishing the job. Naruto was rather inclined to let him, were it not for the Command Spell forcing his movements.

"Saber!" the Matou boy cried, seeing him! "There you are! Quick! Save me!"

...as you command, Master." Naruto muttered crossly.

By the time he realized his peril, it was too late.

"Emiya!" he bellowed. "Duck!"

The boy obeyed.

With nary a sound the Head Cleaver re-materialized and found itself lobbed forward in the same instant; a whirring discus of grey steel slashing into the Book of False Attendant, and then the arm holding it. Undaunted by this brief resistance it blazed onward to crunched headlong against a tree. An awful beat of silence pushed itself between the unlikely quartet. All the while this fool Master gaped at the severed stump that had once been his arm, ending well below the elbow in visceral red relief. As he continued to look on on in cold co the amputated limb sailed overhead and landed at Shirou's feet with sickening squelch.

The sound seemed to reactivate Shinji.

"Ha?"

Blood gushed from the wound like a faucet, yet he only continued to stare at the mangled lip in mute disbelief.

The screaming came all at once. "Saber?! What are you doing?! You idiot! I'm your Master!"

Naruto exhaled slowly.

"As I said before, I have only ever had one Master since I was summoned. And you are clearly not her." as the boy shrank back from him, he drew his blade anew. "I tried to teach you, boy. I tried to guide you down the right path. You did not listen." his tongue clicked in mild admonishment as the boy skittered back on all fours like a drunken spider. "You did not learn. I offered you sound advice. You rejected it. I told you the best way to fight, and you cast it aside out of reckless pride."

His blade had begun to hum audibly now.

"Worse, you tried to make me kill an **innocent!" **That ghastly voice shook the world like thunder and the blue-haired boy squealed like a struck pig, cowering. **"HOW DARE YOU!"**

Emiya dithered. "Should...should we just leave, or-

A lone blue eye rounded on him._** "Stay."**_

Shirou gulped, but obeyed.

"No, MASTER," Saber raised his sword, his voice dripping with vitriol as he returned his attention to Shinji, "I don't think I'll be feeling any guilt about this whatsoever. Such a shame that an enemy Servant got to you before I could save you. Sakura will be so upset. Such a tragic accident, truly. She will mourn you, I think." he advanced on the bloodied boy, hefting his blade with eerie grace. "But she will be a better person with you gone from this world. And in that, your death will serve some purpose. Take some meager satisfaction in that, if you will."

Then he moved.

And Shinji squealed.

"Nononononono PLEASE-

"You're shit at dying, you know that?!"

With a roar, Saber brought the blade down on Shinji's head with all the force of an avalanche.

No sooner had he done so-no sooner did he feel the tenuous connection between them snap-than his world burned with prana. It flooded him from head to toe, refreshing his beleaguered body, soothing the minor wounds he had endured at Lancer's hands. It felt like waking up from a long nap. Only Sakura's sorrow shackled him, kept him from laughing outright. She'd be upset about Shinji of course, but she had no way of knowing-proving either!-that he'd been the one to deal the final blow. He'd never admit it, even if she forced him to use a Command Spell. His will remained ironclad, and he waited for her to call him back, to ask for an explanation...

"Ah, much better!" the words were a roar. "I feel alive again!"

...it never came.

When he turned, he found Lancer wasn't smiling, not anymore.

"Why did you slay him?"

"Because he interfered in our duel." Naruto shot back. "Because he was an idiot; a stupid boy who grew too big for his britches. Because I had to. I'll not apologize for it, if that's what your asking. My true Master may not like what I did, but she'll thank me by the time this war is done. Now then! I'm feeling _much _better, Lancer. Care to continue our duel? To pickup where we last left off?" He raised his blade, beaming with an air of bloody menace. It won't go the same way as before, I assure you."

For a moment, it looked like she wouldn't, as if she'd simply retreat.

In the end, she readied her lance and pushed Shirou back.

...if you speak the truth, I will assess it for myself."

Grinning like a shark, Naruto beckoned.

His smile was pure menace.

_"Come at me."_

**A/N: Ho boy.**

**Two powerful Servants going at it, and Shinji's dead. Boo hoo. Don't think anyone will mourn him. Although Naruto did TRY to knock some sense into him. Note to future Masters: if you tell Saber to kill an innocent, he's going to turn around and kill you. ****At the end of the day Saber!Naruto is actually quite polite...unless he's force to fight.**

**Now I'm sure many are wondering who has what in this war, so here's some clarification:**

**Sakura= Naruto (SABER)**

**Illya= ? (BERSERKER)**

**Shirou= Artoria (LANCER)**

**Bazett= ?**

**Rin= Emiya (ARCHER)**

**Zouken= ?**

**Souchiro= ?**

**Kirei= Gilgamesh (Previously the Archer of the last war)**

**There.**

**Three empty spots yet remain.**

**Vote on 'em if ye daaaaaaaaaaaaaaare~!**

**Let it not be said that I don't listen to the fans.**

**Gods know A Most Unlikely Lancer got me chewed the hell out for making Naruto a girl. I ain't doing that shit again. I'll be honest. I'm a little upset. I don't get paid to do this, and my writing time is all but reduced to a few hours a day. So when I have people calling me all sort of ghastly names...well. A man gets a bit angry. (EDIT) Thankfully I've had most of them taken down by now, but those words still linger and I admit, my enthusiasm is a bit...colder now.**

**Now back to the 'ol double shift, once again, with only an hour in between.**

**Looking forward to reading your reviews when I get back.**

**So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly?**

**And enjoy the previews!**

**Potential ones, at that.**

**Which do you like?**

**And now as promised and hinted in "A Most Unlikely Assassin" Avenger (Gorgon) makes her debut next chapter:**

**Hmm, wonder who her master is?**

***whistles innocently***

**AND GUESS WHO?!**

**(Previews!)**

_"No no no! You're not listening! You don't understand! Chacha is Chacha! She doesn't need to be anyone else!"_

_Illya groaned._

_...why does she have to be my Servant?"_

* * *

_Gilgamesh grinned._

_"Ho? You're willing to face me?"_

_...for some reason, I feel like I have to stop you."_

_Harsh laughter greeted him. "Such spirit! Do entertain me...while you can."_

_He retaliated by tearing off the eyepatch; his reward was the widening of those red eyes as he revealed what lay beneath._

_Then he found himself buried in a wave of scarlet mana._

* * *

_"Why defend her?!"_

_He didn't wave in the face of their fury._

_...because I made a promise." then he struck back._

* * *

_Gorgon snarled._

_"I'll take my time with you."_

_She wasn't prepared for him to sheathe his blade._

_"Sorry, but for some reason I just can't bring myself to hurt you anymore tonight."_

_Least of all for him to simply turn his back and walk away from her. For that was precisely what he did._

_...what are you doing?!" Medusa sputtered, rearing back on her tail. "Stop! Come back here! Get back here right now!"_

**R&R~! =D**


	3. An Unlikely Monster

**A/N: Surprise! **

**I did promise an update today, did I not?**

***Cackles incoherently***

**Well, well, well!**

**Apparently we get our free four star Servant tomorrow. Who are you guys-and gals!-going to get? I don't need Merlin, seeing as I have Waver, but I won't mind getting him. As people have been so fond of telling me, pulling from the limited banners gets you no end of insane luck.**

**I've already decided, NAY! It has been decided for me! Long live Artoria!**

**Are there any other events coming up that I should be aware of?**

**Or anymore exchange tickets? Someone said something...**

**...about a free five star a few months from now?**

**Is that true? I have no idea.**

***EDIT***

**I know we've got video game season coming up soon and all-lord knows Fate Grand Order is distracting me!-w****hich really throws a wrench into my whole daily update thing. Still, I made a promise, so here we are. I've been on a right Fate kick as of late, but I AM updating other stories that are not Fate related. Its only fair. I can't ignore my other stories in favor of this.**

**Look at Date or Die and others, for example.**

**Still, despite the trolls and the flamers, despite that...**

**...I'm trying to be a good soldier and push through. But its hard.**

**Every review encourages me. Even a few words like, "Nice" or "Good job" mean the world to me.**

**But silence...well. Silence hurts. Lack of reviews and general antipathy send me right back into hibernation, ya know...**

**As ever, I own no references, quotes, or anything at all. I'm just a humble writer who likes to play with words and make people smile~!**

_"My greatest weapon is one I never want to use._

_So I won't. You'd have to force me._

_Please don't force me."_

~?

**An Unlikely Monster**

_She couldn't keep up._

For all Lancer's stern strength and speed, she found that Saber now exceeded her in nearly every way. Every strike rattled her guard. Each swing of those swords_-somanytoomany-_pushed her back and threatened to send her sprawling into the dirt. It didn't help that her strength was already faltering; that Shirou has so very little to give her in the first place. She'd been pulling from her reserves from the beginning and now, those precious rivers of energy were inevitably drying up as she continued to fight hard, harder, hardest.

Still, Artoria fought on.

Even as her reserves began to dwindle, she still fought on.

Parrying a strike meant to hack off her legs, the buxom blond grit her teeth and retaliated, pushing back to bash the blunt end of Rhongomyniad against Saber's skull. A few minutes ago, a hit like that would have floored the whiskered warrior. Now? Naruto only grunted as she bloodied his nose; then he reared and delivered her a bruising headbutt with thrice the strength.

Artoria didn't just see stars.

Worse than that, she saw_ entire galaxies._

What was his skull made of?! Cast iron? Tempered steel?!

"What's wrong, Lancer?" a lone blue eye regarded her with thinly veiled concern as she scrubbed the blood from her eyes. "Getting tired? We can stop, if you like."

Artoria had no way of knowing the scarred swordsman; didn't realize he was trying to be decent about this. Instead a muscle jumped in her jaw as his words painfully pricked at her pride and she lunged at him with fierce ferocity. Naruto merely met her with an exasperated sigh, lazily flicked Samehada over his shoulder, and wrapped both hands around the hilt of his Head Cleaver. The difference was like night and and day. His blade didn't move. It _blurred;_ all of the full, towering weight of his legendary weapon came cashing down on her blessed lance like a great hammer, driving her to a knee and crating the ground underfoot for nearly a mile in every direction.

By the spirits, facing him with one blade was worse!

On a certain level she knew something had changed when he slew Shinji-she felt not a thing for that little worm!-and likely regained his contract with his true Master, but this...this was absurd. Saber'd always fought like a swordsman to be sure, but his style was so vicious and unpredictable, his arsenal so varied and unorthodox, that she found it nigh impossible to match it. He'd gone from borderline exhaustion to being fresh as a daisy in a matter of moments; all his stamina and vigor crashing over her like a tidal wave.

This was absurd!

As she struck out at him he stoically used that giant blade as a shield to weather her lance before vaulting forward with an onslaught of his own. Sparks shot from its edge, raced up the holy lance, and jarred her arm. She sucked in a breath. Rhongomyniad shuddered treacherously in her grasp and in a rare break of decorum she lashed out with a booted foot, catching him in the chest.

For a moment, she almost dared to believe she'd hurt him.

Saber grunted and went sliding back, but not far. He'd scarcely moved more than a foot before he dug his sword into the dirt and dragged his backwards skid into a sliding halt. A lone blue eye gleamed out at her in the moonlight. Dragging himself up from one knee, he hissed out a burst of hot air-actual steam!-and stood once more.

"That all ya got?"

This couldn't go on; he was beating her into the ground. Shirou just...didn't have enough energy for her. At her peak, she was sure she could match Saber. Perhaps even overwhelm him entirely. She could don her armor again for more defense, but that would slow her even more. She lacked the energy to even summon her mount. No. There was only one recourse. As things stood, Artoria knew she had just enough energy to unleash the true power of her Noble Phantasm. Once. Then she would be truly drained and her Master would have nothing to give her. Should she use it and fail to kill her opponent, she would have to fade into astral form or risk vanishing entirely.

But if she didn't use this...if their duel continued at this pace...she was going to die.

Artoria didn't want to die. She wanted to live. More than anything.

Reluctantly, she readied her trump card.

Saber's lone eye lit up.

"Well, now!"

Sweeping her cloak back, Lancer willed the last of her reserves to surge and her lance to shine.

"Holy Lance, anchor!" the words burst from her in a quiet chant, swelling steadily louder with each passing word. "Let light be released from the Ends of the World."

Rather than charge to prevent her Noble Phantasm's activation, Saber slammed his sword into the earth and planted his feet. At first, Artoria balked. No. Surely he wasn't going to...he actually was. The madman. Honor or no, only a fool would willingly stand still and not try to do...something. Yet this was precisely what Naruto had done. He wasn't even defending himself. Instead he watched her, enraptured, as tendrils of light began to peel away from her almighty lance, each of its thirteen seals unwinding into winding ribbons of holy radiance.

Throughout it all, he only grinned. "That's much better! I can actually feel that! Keep it up!"

"In mere moments," Atroria warned with a growl, "All you'll be feeling is oblivion!"

"That or disappointment." he shot back happily. "Go ahead. Flip that coin."

Here at last, he reached for the Head Cleaver's hilt in the soil.

And so began an incantation of his own.

"I have seen all there is to see." he intoned reverently as he drew the blade free from its earthen confines. "I have cut all there is to cut. My blades pierce heaven and earth. If there is an enemy, I will cut them. If there is an adversary, I will slay them. I am death. I am destruction. Now come forth! The sage's blade!** _Sword of_** _**Nunoboko!"**_

Snarling, he ripped it free.

Its shape was...different than she remembered.

Rather than a massive hunk of metal, its form had warped and twisted, bending inward in a strange helix shape. Almost like that of human DNA. It could scarcely be called a weapon at all, save for the twin spokes jutting forward at the end. He took a strange kendo stance, sword hefted high above his head, fingers wrapped around its pole-like hilt. Whatever that thing was, Artoria liked it not. The mere sight of made her soul recoil, rather, it seemed to shroud the world in shadows, exuding a tainted sense of wrongness.

"Now, then." Saber granted her a grave grin. "Lets see which is stronger. My sword, or your lance. Isn't this exciting, Lancer?!"

Still, she renewed her chant as the light of her lance burst into a deafening roar of heavenly brilliance.

"I shall split the heavens, and connect the land. Anchor of the Storm! _Rhongo-_

Abruptly, her foe slumped.

"Seriously?! We were just getting to the good part! Can't I just-

He flinched as though he'd been struck.

"Fine, fine, have it your way...

Before Lancer could think to ask what the devil Saber was up to this time, her fellow blond banished his baleful blade into golden dust and slouched over with an irritated growl. She couldn't bring herself to attack him, not while he was in such an unguarded state, and so she too stilled her own Noble Phantasm before its energy could escape her. Thankfully she hadn't released it and missed; that would've cost her dearly. As things stood she still possessed enough energy for another shot, though Rhongomyniad blazed white-hot in her hands.

It never came.

"Well, would you look at that." Saber surprised her with a jaw-popping yawn. "My Master's calling for me. She doesn't want me to fight you two any longer."

"What?" Shirou choked out.

"Just what I said." Saber shrugged. "Lets finish this fight another time, eh?"

That lazy blue eye bored into Shirou, almost as if he were trying to tell him something. Lancer knew not what. Alas, whatever silent message the war-torn veteran was trying to impart was lost on her Master. Eventually, the whiskered warrior gave up and shook his head.

"Who is...?"

"Sorry." he shrugged again. "She doesn't want me to tell you that either. Sorry, kiddo. My lips are sealed."

With that, he turned to leave. Just...left his back open to her. As though he knew. He knew that her chivalry would prevent her from attacking him in this moment of weakness. And yet, something in the way he so easily cut and run rankled her warrior's spirit. Only cowards fled from the field of battle. And yet his retreat would save her life. Her honor-her pride!-could not abide by this mercy.

"Do you flee, Saber?!"

"You're more than welcome to come after me." That narrow golden eye leered at her over his shoulder as. "But only if you're prepared to die."

His face held a startling emotion; a beast's excitement, narrowly held in check.

He would do it, Artoria realized. If she followed, he'd kill her.

In a single bound he leaped away.

* * *

(...0o0o0...)

* * *

The rest of his journey was made in comparative silence.

He could have gone astral and made his return in silence, but something held him back from simply popping out of one point and emerging at another. It was the smile. HIS smile. Try as he might, it still hadn't left his face since he'd abandoned his fight. No, he wanted to go back to Sakura under his own power and rid himself of this mad tension before it ate him alive. Such a good fight. Lancer had been on the verge of unleashing her Noble Phantasm-he'd wanted to see it so badly!-and he'd nearly revealed his own, knowing the reaction it would instill in her.

And then Sakura had told him to stop.

Even now temper strained at its leash like a wild breast, chomping at the bit to escape. He wanted to go back. To fight Lancer. To see her Noble Phantasm in all its holy glory and crush it with his own. It was a simple wish, one he'd been denied, and it made blood burned with every leap. Was it so wrong to enjoy himself in battle? When one had so little left to live for, you learned to take pleasure in the small things. Unless your Master went and meddled. Granted, he understood just why Sakura had done what she did. He'd glimpsed her memories upon his summoning.

Poor girl.

She didn't want to hurt her Senpai.

Her precious person. The one thing that mattered to her.

With that humbling thought, Naruto's simmering anger began to cool.

Rather, it would have; if someone hadn't taken it into their head to attack him all at once.

One moment he was leaping from rooftop to another; in the next, a dark coil of something shot out of the air to snare him by an ankle. Then it yanked. Hard. For all his reflexes, Naruto had only just begun to draw for one of his blades when his world blurred into a wall. To his credit he snapped back upright and promptly severed the strange strand seizing him. A woman's snarl greeted him as he stepped out into the street, punctuated by a second strike, one he found himself hard-pressed to predict.

"Hello, dinner." a sensuous voice purred as he staggered to his feet. "So nice of you to drop in."

Naruto shook the stars out of his eyes. "S'not like I had a choice...

Saber looked up.

And up.

Up.

He found himself gazing at an absolute monster of a woman. She was certainly large enough. But her body...he didn't know what to make of it. It looked as though she were on the verge of transforming into some ghastly monster, as evidenced by the scales and the tail. Yet she bore heavenly wings and a body that would tempt even an angel to sin. Whomever she was, she was clearly still human of a sort, in that she still possessed her figure as well as her arms and legs. Yet in that same vein she was corrupted. Her body blackened with gold and ebony scales.

And then there was the matter of her tail.

She coiled atop it, hovering above him, looking down on him. Her piercing eyes threatened to paralyze him where he stood, and her rich violet hair...was just short of serpentine. Literally. It looked alive and ready to bite him if he took another step closer. Yet something about her face, the way she hissed at him, almost seemed familiar.

"Oh." he managed eloquently. "Well. You're beautiful."

A pale brow arched. "Do you truly think flattery will save you.

Despite his dread, Naruto laughed. "Maybe not, but it _did_ make you blush."

An incoherent sputter answered him "Why you little...?! Are you mocking me?! How dare you!"

_"What's wrong?"_ Sakura's voice snaked through their mental link as the woman continued to rage._ "Are you alright?"_

"Not now, little bird." Naruto forced the words through gritted teeth as he watched the woman coil languidly on her tail to observe him. "I'm going to be late."

The woman-what was this strange nostalgia he felt for her?-regarded him pointedly for a long moment. Well. That settled it. His eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Her hair was definitely alive. Those stray strands tapered off into ghastly shadowy creatures with wretched maws, eager and hissing at him like mad dogs. By rights, he should be grateful. He'd wanted a fight; now he had one. And yet...something in him stayed his hand. All that raging eagerness suddenly turned to ice in his gut and his patched eye began to whisper achingly. Almost as if it were trying to tell him something. It sounded like a name.

"Medusa?" he tested the word on his tongue.

_**"MY NAME IS GORGON!"**_

It tumbled out of his lips before he could think to stop it; and it was the worst thing he could have said. The woman-Servant!-didn't howl at him in response. She absolutely shrieked. And with that shriek a blistering blast of coruscating violet light smashed him off his feet and flung him into a building. Another brought it down on his head for good measure, more of an insult than anything else. They both knew rubble couldn't kill a healthy Servant, least of all someone of the Saber class. Within moments, Naruto was able to claw his way free.

"Alright," he coughed dust, "I clearly shouldn't have said that. Just who are you?"

Gorgon snarled.

"No one. I'll take my time with you."

She wasn't prepared for him to sheathe his blade.

"Sorry, but for some reason I just can't bring myself to fight you tonight."

Least of all for him to simply turn his back and walk away from her. For that was precisely what he did.

...what are you doing?!" the mutated woman sputtered, rearing back on her tail. "Stop! Come back here! Get back here right now!"

He made it all of five steps before Avenger finally abandoned all semblance of composure and elected to attack him outright. Her hair flew at him, the gaping creatures formed from it snapping at his heels. Naruto spun in an instant. With a flourish he cut through a second tendril, then a third and and a fourth, carving through each with ease, but not as easily as he might have. Hesitation slowed him; uncertainty lulling his movements into a spiral of confusion.

"Enough of this." Those beautiful eyes narrowed at him. "Now...die."

Sakura must've sensed his hesitation, for she spoke through their link again. _"I could use-_

"NO!" He snapped, harsher than he intended to. "No. Don't. Shinji already wasted one Command Spell. I'll be fine-

A shadow fell over him. "Really? Will you, now?"

Naruto swore softly. "Bugger me."

Avenger crashed into him like a freight train and once more his world was a whorl of noise and dirt. Say what you would about Gorgon, but she was fast. Yet again he tumbled away and though he dodged her tail whip, the sheer shockwave that followed sent him slamming through a second hovel. Crashing upright, he ripped a wall loose and flung it back at her. She smashed right through it of course; but it gave him a precious moment to take a breath and muster his senses. Ignoring his hesitation, stifling the small part of him that cried out that this was wrong, that he needed to STOP-

"Enough."

...his lone eye drifted shut.

An arm snapped up and his sword blurred, striking in three places at once. He did not think where he needed to be, but felt it, saw his destination in his mind's eye. A storm of death and destruction crashed down on him like a wave; and like the water, he moved. It wasn't a defense. It was a dance. Rather than stand against the attacks and risk being pinned, he simply moved with those serpentine strands. He did not think, but allowed a peerless instinct-instincts honed over a storied career-to guide him and shape his steps. He knew the slightest slip would leave him skewered; Naruto couldn't bring himself to care.

Instead, he breathed and began to advance.

Not rapidly by any means of measure; his charge was a slow one, inevitably building up steam with each passing moment.

Tumbling through a whirl of energy blasts and snapping strands, he leaped onto a crumbling house and gave himself to his battle lust. Allowed himself to enjoy the fight. It became a game. How long could he keep this up tonight? How long could he avoid being hit by these attacks? He didn't know. Didn't care. In that moment, "Naruto" ceased to be. There was only Saber. Only the blades in his hand.

And so Medusa-not for the first time in her life-felt a pinprick of fear.

She couldn't hit him anymore; what he didn't dodge or block he simply slashed through like a bloody blender, a furious specter of life and all its wrath. This was Saber. This was the Servant of the Sword, the strongest of all seven classes in all their bloody gory glory, come now to cut her down. Just like that man. For a terrifying moment, she saw someone else standing in his place; the same Hero that had taken her head so many an age ago. Only for a moment, but something in Gorgon balked regardless.

He was coming for her.

He was going to cut her; going to kill her.

Try as she might, she couldn't do a damn thing about it.

Then she got lucky-or so she thought. It certainly seemed like it at first.

A stray shot struck the right side of Saber's face and sheared off his eyepatch to draw blood for the first time in their duel. It was, by all accounts, a lucky shot. Her blast struck his sword, bounced off, and ricocheted into the ground at his feet to create an explosion. In the ensuing blast she saw his head jerk to the side, turning his wounded visage away from her. For a fleeting instant she almost dared to hope. Yes, she could win this. She had hit him. Hurt him. Maimed him. An injury like that was sure to slow him down at the very least-

Then she saw his eye.

Gleaming in the smoke like saffron beacon.

It looked perfectly hale and healthy. So why the eyepatch?

_**"That,"**_ Saber growled low and deep in his throat,_** "Was a mistake."**_

With those words, the world erupted into a whorl of howling golden light that _burned_ her retina.

Saber stood at the epicenter of it all, a pillar of golden light shooting up into the clouds, a veritably beam of near-divinity that pierced the heavens. Those haunting eyes, one gold, the other blue, gazed back at her. To her unutterable confusion, his body began to glow as though lit from within. What was this? A transformation of some sort? Well! If he thought turning himself into a human night-light would make any difference in this fight, he was sorely mista-

A slash slammed into her tail and toppled her like a house of cards.

Scrabbling upright, Gorgon flailed her wings and beat him back with a gust of hair. In recompense for her temerity, a blade of wind bit through her storm and cut deep into her shoulder. With a cry she lost control and fell back to the earth with a mighty crash. The dust was only just clearing when one of her blackened wings went sailing away in a geyser of crimson blood.

_**"You have my attention, now."** _Those mismatching orbs locked onto her; brimming with wrath, just like of the gods she so loathed. _**"So be it. I hope its what you wanted."**_

It was not.

Gorgon howled another blast of violet light, only for it to carom harmlessly off his outstretched sword.

**"I kept my strength sealed for a reason."** Saber's voice thrummed through the very air itself as she scrambled backwards like a drunken spider. **"I can't control it properly. If I don't hold back, I lose control. If I lose control, I go berserk. I lose my connection with people. With this world. But you don't understand, do you? You're just a monster. I don't know why I thought otherwise."**

Another cut, and half her hair fell limp at her feet.

_**"What's wrong?"**_ he laughed and it was a bitter and furious thing indeed, one that rattled her very bones. _**"C'mon, then! Fight me!"**_

There was no rhyme or reason to his attacks; just endless, ceaseless rage. Medusa couldn't escape it. Even as she began to debate the possibility of escaping-and returning to her master with news of failure-she found all avenues of escape blocked to her. What made it all the worse was that this felt familiar somehow. A tiny part of her recognized this man and didn't want to hurt him. Why?! He was the enemy! She'd never seen him before in her life! So why did she recognize him?! Why did she want to call him Caster, when his class was clearly Saber! And why...why...WHY...

As she looked on, Saber dropped his blades.

**"Nothing personal lady, I really can't afford to hold back against you now."** thus speaking, he once more drew another sword wrapped in a sheathe of black radiance. **"So here. Eat this. My greatest treasure. Found at the ends of the earth! No holding back this time!" **That great gilded beacon bloomed but once, a peerless pillar of death. **"My gift to you! The Sword of the Sage! Nunoboko!"**

Her instincts howled a warning. So she retaliated in kind.

"Cestsus Pandemonium!"

The twin attacks collided in a shower of black light.

And all the world turned white.

In the ensuing backlash, Gorgon tumbled away, gasping ans choking for breath, clutching at torn torso. Alas, her tumbling body failed her and she dragged a great skid through the ground. She was alive, she was healing-holding herself together through sheer force of will-but even she recognized defeat. Her remaining wing was gone, torn away by her own hands before the rest of her could crumble alongside it. She'd had no choice. They might yet return in time, but for now, the Avenger found herself earthbound. No. No, she had to run. She could still sense Saber. He was wounded to be sure-and didn't that give her a bit of spiteful pleasure-but he was likely a sight better than her.

It burned.

Absolutely galled her.

The notion that she had been so easily bested, beaten by this whelp...it should gall her. Yet some small part of her felt satisfied. Yes. She was ready to die. She shouldn't exist in this former. She was an abomination, foul and cruel and she needed to be cleansed. She corrupted everything she touched. Bazett had been a fool to summon someone like her. And how had she repaid her? Attacking her, leaving her lying in a coma, uncaring as she wasted away, not quite dead, but not truly alive, either. So long as she was fuel.

_Yes._ A small, agonizing part of her whispered._ This is good. Just let him finish it._

Gorgon felt the naked edge of a blade brush the nape of her neck and against her better judgement, she looked up into a lone blue eye. He'd sealed his other eye again somehow; torn off his sleeve and wrapped it around the right side of his face in a temporary attempt to bind that unsightly orb and all the power it contained. He wasn't wielding the same sword as before, either. She would've remembered that helix-shaped blade. No, it was the mortal steel of the Head Cleaver that brushed her throat, promising the sweet release of death if she moved.

_...kill me."_

Saber sighed. "No."

"Do you jest? Just finish it."

He grit his teeth at her. "I refuse."

Something broke deep inside of Gorgon.

"WHY?!" The word exploded out of _Medusa_ in a rush before she could think to hold it back. "I'm your enemy! I tried to kill you! Let me die! I demand it! You have no right to spare me! None!" Tears welled up in her eyes as that lone eye continued to gaze down at her in silent judgement. She was too weak to move, much less attack. To do anything at all, really. Her words were the only weapon she possessed now. "I WILL kill you if you spare me! I'll kill everyone you love!" Throughout it all, his stoic expression never wavered as she cried out at him. Not a once. "I won't stop, Saber! I cannot stop! So end me!"

Naruto only tilted his head. "I don't think you really mean those words, do you, Medusa?"

Gorgon felt her shoulders twitch. "Don't call me that...I'm not...that's not...

He offered her a tiny, beatific smile. "You seem familiar, you know?"

The fallen goddess refused to give voice to her own words.

Naruto wasn't nearly so hesitant by comparison.

"That's alright. I'm confused, too."

To her great dismay, he sat down beside her and patted her head. He didn't do anything else. Idly, she glimpsed the deep burns searing his torso, but if he was in any sort of pain, he seemed loathe to show it. Planting his blade in the ground, Naruto exhaled in a long-suffering sigh and idly began to stroke what remained of her hair. It was such a gentle gesture for someone who'd gone Berserker only a few moments ago; she found herself wholly at a loss for what to do. He had every right to kill her. He should kill her.

Instead he only favored her with that winning grin again.

"So, lets talk, then. About us. About everything."

Medusa felt her lower lip begin to tremble.

Tch. Damn it. Damn him. Damn it all...!

He pulled her head into his shoulder.

Tears welled forth from her eyes.

_And the goddess wept._

**A/N: And there we go.**

**No major deaths yet, but believe me, they're coming.**

**Saber!Naruto might be a bit of a battle fanatic, but at his heart he's a good person. Be glad that he is, because he's one of the most powerful incarnations out there. This crazy idiot was willing to try and tank a full power Rhongymyniad just to satisfy his own curiosity. Who knows what the outcome would've been? ****He's dangerously close to a True Divine Spirit when he isn't limiting himself, and only the most powerful Masters could ever support him.**

**One more thing.**

** As he blatantly said, the eyepatch is a seal he made himself to limit his power and keep himself from losing touch with reality and humanity. Without it he becomes something ghastly, a being who simply doesn't care for anything other than battle. Like Scathach, he simply killed so much that he's nearly become a god. He cut his power just to be summoned at that; to better enjoy the thrill of a fight, to challenge himself and revel in the excitement.**

**Now, who does that sound like? -_-**

**Might write a story where Naruto was given Excalibur. Who knows? I wan to finish my other stories first.**

**Reviews are love, Reviews are life, Reviews, despite everything, keep me alive.**

**Lack of reviews sends me right back into writer's block and hibernation.**

**It also means the trolls win. Please don't let them win.**

**So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Revieeeeew Would Ya Kindly?**

**And enjoy the previews!**

**It gets...intense.**

**(Preview)**

_"Hold, mongrel. I would speak with you."_

_...and I'd rather stab you."_

* * *

_Zouken howled. __"Again?!"_

_A hand wrapped around his decaying throat._

_"I'll smash your body as many times as I need to. Leave. Sakura. Alone."_

* * *

_...Saber?"_

_"Yes, little bird?"_

_Sakura dithered for a moment._

_"If I ever...lose control, you'll stop me, won't you?"_

_He patted her head. "It won't come to that, I promise ya."_

* * *

_"You remember me, don't you? I knew it was you, I knew you'd never hurt me, you'd never-_

_Saber's opponent gurgled wordlessly as he buried his blade in their stomach._

_The Servant choked wordlessly, her eyes widening._

_"I am...so sorry..._

**Warmest regards,**

**~Nz.**


	4. An Unlikely Alliance

**A/N: *cackles in Gilgamesh***

**HELLO~! Thought this was dead did you?!**

**Thought the Fate series was shelved, did ye?! Wrong you would be!**

**Felt it was appropriate to update this, given the third Heavens Feel movie coming out. Oh, and Babylonia, of course.**

**Now then, it seems I've gotten some flak for vanishing like that. I've said time and again that this is a HOBBY; as much as I enjoy it, I simply don't get paid to do this. I work two jobs to make ends meet and have far less time now than I did a year ago. There's the hard truth of it. I'll try to keep the updates steady, but daily ones are absolutely impossible for the time being. I simply don't have the time to update daily as much as I'd like. I've only been able to do that the past few days because i've been awfully sick.**

**You all know why, and no, I don't have that bloody virus. **

**There, now that we've gotten that happy little disclaimer out of the way, onto the next chapter.**

**References are references, because this chapter was a blast to write, short as it is.**

**Credit where credit is due, I own nothing, yadda yadda...**

_"Why do you trust him?"_

_"Saber? Hmm...if I had to put it into words..._

_...he's warm. No matter how he might try to hide it, he's a good person."_

_"Warm? That's your reason? That man is anything but kind. He is a monster. Like me. Like you."_

_"Even a monster can have redeeming traits. But if you're so intent on being cruel, perhaps you really **should** die."_

_...hoh? You really do have a sharp tongue on you, girl. In another life, I dare say we would have gotten along swimmingly. Such a shame you have to die."_

_~Gorgon and Sakura._

**An Unlikely Alliance (Interlude)**

_"How are your wounds?"_

"Well enough." Medusa huffed as she tucked her head deeper into her hair. "I have no need of your concern, Saber."

"Brute, am I? You say that," wry laughter rose to meet her muted embarrassment, "Yet you're still holding my hand, Avenger."

Had she still possessed the strength to do so, Gorgon would have struck him down on the spot. She was almost attempted to do so anyway."

_"Tch!"_

Instead, the stray Servant somehow forbore the urge to hiss at Saber's back as he led her up the winding path towards the Matou household, but only just. Without the reassuring weight of her wings and tail-_banished to conserve the last dregs of her remaining mana-_there to reassure her, her legs felt wooden and stilted by comparison. Servant or no, Medusa wasn't accustomed to walking under her own power in this form, and while the effort of doing so didn't tire her _per se,_ it left her well out of her element. She told herself that was the _sole_ reason she had yet to leave go of Naruto's arm; why she was letting him tug her along. Yes. That was the cause.

It had nothing to do with the faltering memories of some Grail War in which they may-or-may-not have met.

No.

Not at all.

Not in the least.

Perhaps, had she been privy to Naruto's own thoughts on the matter -had she known what he intended for her- she would've been more vocal in her protest. One might even have forgiven her for being...upset. Alas, she knew nothing of his plans or plots, and thus allowed herself to be led down the road like some fumbling maiden. The thought should have galled her. It should have burned. Yet she found her soul as silent as the crickets in the night, her rage tempered by a strange-yet-ethereal calm. Until he spoke again.

"So," Saber began undauntedly as they continued up the path, "Medusa. I'm really glad you came to your senses back there. Looking forward to working with ya."

Had Gorgon retained her tail, she would've slapped him with it. Alas, she had to settled for a scathing glower. "Cease."

His visible eye blinked. "Stop what? I'm afraid I don't understand. What're you on about?"

This time, Gorgon flashed her fangs in a sibilant snarl. "Do _not _speak that name."

A blond eyebrow waggled at her. "Me~du~sa~?"

She absolutely hissed. "BOY!"

His laughter made Gorgon's heart race again and _again _she forbore the urge to strike him as he tugged her ahead, hesitation gnawing at her breast all the while. A tiny voice in her heart just wouldn't let her do the deed; the voice of a maiden overpowered her muscles, locked them up when she thought of killing him now. And she knew why. Because she knew his face. Why? Had her Spirit Origin met his in another life? Another war? Had he been human then? Was she his Servant, once? Were they allies? Or something more? He could have been. She might have. They would have. She'd seen Saber's face before, her core told her this, and yet her memory of it wasn't the same. Such a thing should be impossible of course. Servants weren't meant to see such things; they ought to be unable to recall previous encounters. So where had she-

Static snarled through her thoughts as painful grainy image interposed itself over her vision.

_All at once she saw his face._

It was younger, without the scars and the eye-patch. A kinder face. Not an adult's face, but that of a younger man. A teenager. That sunny smile flashed out at her in the sunlight, his body framed in the arch of a window well as he gazed out at it, one leg lazily kicked against a wall. He saw her, raised his hand to wave, and her heart took flight. It was like a scene stolen out of time itself. When she looked up at him, he laughed. His was a boy's smile, so simple and pure that it felt as though she were right there with him. It felt safe. Good. Pure.

**_"Enjoying your book, Rider?"_**

Just like that, the not-memory shattered in brittle glass, leaving Gorgon with a sense of loss so profound that the serpent nearly shrieked.

_No!_ Something in her raged at it, clawed fingers grasping wildly at the happy scene. _Wait! Stop! Come back! GIVE HIM BACK!_

"Hey, you stopped moving." A familiar voice plucked at her ears as Saber's hand found her arm. "Are you alright-

Gorgon_ screamed._

Saber flitted away as scaled hands tore at the space he'd just vacated; all well and good, considering the tree behind him absolutely evaporated. Followed by the tree next it. And the next. Her monstrous hair reacted to her gamut of emotion and lashed out viciously, eviscerating anyone and everything in sight. She didn't feel it. Didn't see it. Didn't care. There was only mindlessly fury and loss there to drive her, spurring her on as if she were some wild feral beast. Perhaps she was. By the time she found herself again, by the time she finally came down off her emotional high, her palms were caked in sap.

She didn't even have the strength to struggle when Saber snatched her hands and began to cleaning them.

All the while, a lone blue eye regarded her.

"Want to tell me what that little outburst was about?"

"Its nothing." the words tasted dead on her tongue. "Nothing at all."

Saber -Naruto!- looked like he wanted to question her, but he held his tongue.

"Fair enough." the swordsman allowed with a shrug. "Now, follow me. We're almost there."

Scowling, she mastered her raging emotions and willed herself to follow him when he turned to depart. In any case, rising to such choice bait now would only leave her at a disadvantage again; in her weakened state, Gorgon knew she wouldn't survive another clash with Saber. No, _that_ was an outcome she had no desire to revisit. She'd tasted the abyss once already. It was enough to deter her from any...reckless decisions. That, and her own irrational heart. Blasted thing. When had she allowed herself to be led astray? She was an Avenger! Wrath incarnate! She was vengeance! She was the night! She was...

"Aha!" Saber declared, jolting her against. "Here we are!"

...not going to let go of his hand, was she?

Nope. She'd doomed herself.

In short order Gorgon found herself dragged before the Matou residence; one recognized quickly thanks in no small part to her former contractor. Her precious Master had been nothing if not efficient; staking out any and all potential magi and their homes, explaining whom they might be, and why they needed to be watch. Which meant Saber's master was likely a Matou. Alright. She had no qualms with this. It couldn't possibly be anyone that she'd known in a previous life or incarnation. No. Surely note.

Naruto knocked bristly against the door. Once. Twice. Thrice.

"Sakura, I'm b_-oh, there you are."_

Gorgon's heart didn't have _time _to leap into her throat; because by the time Naruto had finished knocking, the door had already flung itself open; apparently the poor girl had been anxiously awaiting her Servant's return. Her heart lurched traitorously again at the sight of this girl. Argh! There it was again! That strange feeling of familiarity! Pain gnawed at her head, and she clutched at her skull, averting her eyes. She glimpsed the joy in the girl's eyes, saw the happiness at the sight of her Servant.

That joy faded at the sight of her. _"Sa~ber. What is **that** thing doing here?"_

"Hey, now." the blond raised his hands in a placating motion. "Calm down, Sakura. I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this."

"Oh, I'm sure you do." Her smile didn't waver in the least, she only narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "I can't wait to hear it. By all means. _Explain."_

Funny how such a simple turn of phrase-uttered by a mere mortal no less!-could inspire such dread in one such as Gorgon; indeed, had anyone else dared to refer to her as such, she would have devoured them on the spot. It should have stood as a testament to the Avenger's self-control that she _didn't _lash out on the spot. Rather, she couldn't. Because that small sentence, a mere series of syllables strung together offhand, instilled complete terror in the very core of her being. Her own caustic retort died on her tongue, withering away into ash as she gazed down at the young woman Saber hailed as his Master and awaited her final fate.

She was utterly terrifying.

Framed in the waning light of the moon, the placid purple gaze of the young woman betrayed absolutely nothing as she gazed up at them. No anger, no relief, no joy, not even the slightest hint of unspoken emotion that anyone might detect. She simply stood there in the doorway of the Matou household, framed in the waning light of the moon and stars as she gazed up at the two of them. Human. Mortal. Harmless. And yet Gorgon felt her hackles rise all the same. Gods above, she wasn't even the _recipient _of that limpid stare, and something in her soul _still_ quailed when she watched the Master in question stare down her Servant.

Saber could have retorted in kind, could've argued against her in any number of ways, but again, he abstained.

"I told her to come here." He drawled, pausing to glance back at her. "Its complicated...

"Which is why I'm waiting for an explanation." Sakura didn't budge in the least.

Naruto deflected that explanation like a beginner's blade.

"Shinji's dead."

His Master went horribly still.

At the end of the day, Sakura was a kind girl, kinder still when compared to Naruto and herself. Gorgon bristled anew as a pall emanated from her. This girl seemed slow to anger; she did not enjoy the pain of others. She wasn't particularly strong when compared to a Servant-not as she was now. If anything, that made this display all the more imposing. Yes, this mere waif frightened her more than words. She sensed the power within her, quiet and concealed, lurking like a monster beneath the silent surface of a still lake. The night held a bite to it now, a preternatural chill in the air that threatened to stifle all thought.

Tenting her fingers, the poor girl swallowed. "Oh. I see. So you killed him, then?"

"No, it was the gravity that killed him." Saber's retort nearly drew a snort from Gorgon, impeccable as it was. "And my sword."

Sakura still flinched all the same. "Its all my fault...I never should have let him...

Quick as a flash, the blond swooped in. "Don't be. His death was his own; not yours. You're not at fault here."

"Aren't I?"

"No." Feeling awkward, Gorgon glanced away as the man's head settled on his Master's head and began mussing her hair gently. "He died due to his own stupidity; if he'd just listened to me, he would have survived. But he didn't. This was bound to happen sooner or later. And nothing of value was lost."

Violet eyes drifted past his shoulder. "And who is she?"

"Like I said, its complicated. Saber scratched the back of his head. "Can we come in?"

"I don't want anything to do with that thing." Sakura pursed her lips. "I don't know her at all."

Despite the initial spark of rage Medusa experienced at being called "that" she couldn't bring herself to answer.

"She's not going to make trouble." Naruto's soothing voice overrode her snarl. "You have my word. Please, just trust me."

For a fleeting instant, Medusa wondered if the girl would refuse them. She almost hoped she would. It would make everything so much simpler. They would part as enemies and kill one another the next time they saw each other. Enemies she could understand. Enemies were prey, to be slain, food to eat. Allies...she didn't know what to do with allies. And there was something about this girl that felt familiar. Even more so than Naruto and his own indefatigable smile. Looking at _him _didn't give her a raging migraine. But this girl? Something about her made her soul scream. Saying that she was right...and wrong. So terribly wrong.

Remarkably, the girl stepped aside.

"By all means." she conceded.

Saber deflated. "Thanks."

Sakura's gaze flicked up and down Gorgon's body, lingering on her chest. "Will this creature fit?"

_Bitch! _Gorgon reared back, a venomous retort leaping to her lips. "Creature? Choose your words with care little ant, lest I devour you."

"I'm not afraid of you, you know." Defiance gleamed in her gaze. "If you're here you must've lost to Saber. Badly." an eerie smile bloomed on her lips. "You're no danger to either of us. Are you?"

"You should be afraid, girl." Gorgon leaned forward to press her forehead to the girl's with a sibilant hiss. "You are prey. I could snuff out your life in an instant, if I so chose. Be grateful that I have chosen _not _to."

Avenger expected the girl to wilt at that remark. Sakura did not. On the contrary, her chin rose in defiance and something...shifted deep in the depths of her shadow. Medusa bristled, hair drawing protectively around her with a hiss. She'd seen that just now. It made the voices in her head louder. They screamed for her to get away. Now. Run! FLEE! Escape before...before what exactly? Try as she might, she couldn't quantify this nameless dread. Was it her imagination? She'd only felt it for a moment before it vanished. Alas, Saber slammed a palm to his head and unfortunately Sakura mistook that as a cue to raise her voice again.

"Saber? I've changed my mind. Silence this Servant."

Gorgon bared her fangs. "Ha! Not if I kill you first, human."

Just like that negotiations broke down. "This was a waste of time-

**"THAT. IS. ENOUGH."**

Naruto's voice wasn't a whisper. Nor was it a roar. He didn't waste any time swatting their petty rivalry down; and he swatted hard. To his credit, he never raised a hand to either of them. He didn't have to. His words did the work for him. Gorgon was long accustomed to his killing intent by now - she'd fought him before. Witnessed it firsthand. As such she only flinched in the face of his fury and knew to yield to it immediately, as one would a proper predator. Sakura? Poor girl looked as though he'd slapped her. All the confidence crumbled out of her eyes.

"S-Saber?" the word stumbled out of her mouth as she shrank back. "Why...?"

"I'm disappointed in you. _Both_ of you." it wasn't a shout, wasn't a snap, but it held the weight of both and made his allies cower all the same. His gaze found Sakura first. "Whether you like or not, little bird, this woman is an ally now. You will treat her as such. I won't harm her unless she tries to harm you first. Do you understand?"

Gorgon preened - until his eye found hers.

"I'm sorry, did I say something that you found funny?" A calloused finger stabbed itself at her lips, silencing her. "She's my Master. Don't provoke her, Medusa. I'll kill you if you do."

She wilted, feeling as though she'd been the one to wrong him.

Just like that, the light came back to Sakura's gaze, if Naruto noticed it, he didn't speak of it.

Without another word the whiskered warrior slipped inside, leaving Sakura to trail listlessly after his retreating shoulders.

Gorgon hunched down in return, wincing slightly as she folded the ruined remnants of her wings behind her and tucked her healing tail behind her back. Even then she had to squeeze to fit through the narrow arch; a task that required more than a bit of wriggling on her part, much to her chagrin. Blasted body. She almost wished she were smaller. Almost. Her power made this minor indignity well worth it. For all the indignity she suffered now, she'd pay them back tenfold. Or so she told herself.

There wasn't much to say about the Matou household, nor its interior.

It was...dark.

Worse, it smelled faintly of worms and decay. A lone candle burned in a nearby brazier on a table, casting ghoulish shadows across the walls. An aura of fear and despair seemed to hang in the air, promising only pain to those who dared to dwell within. Compared to the malice Gorgon knew, it was naught but a summer's breeze. Still, a rational What manner of a home was this? Who raised children here? She might find the atmosphere pleasant, but this environment would prove stifling to all but the most warped humans.

She supposed that said a bit for his Master.

"Gods, the things you two have put me through tonight...

Naruto took a seat place in a large chair near the center of the room, propping one foot up on a nearby table.

From her awkward angle to his back/right, Avenger couldn't see her ally's face clearly; only Saber's unsealed eye made itself visible to her. As she looked on his broad shoulders slumped in an exasperated sigh, and for a moment-just a moment-she thought that brilliant blue orb gleamed with something eerily akin to anger. It didn't abate, even as Sakura claimed a seat beside to the blond's right. Without looking he picked his master up and placed her in his lap, heedless of the girl's startled squeak. She resisted for only the merest of moments before he murmurred something into her ear. Whatever it was, it caused her to relax into his chest. She didn't even try to escape when he began to stroke her head.

Gorgon's brow rose.

Well, well, well. Who would've thought?'

"Right." Saber declared, gesturing brazenly to one of the larger couches. "You sit there, Medusa. Then we'll talk about defeating Lancer."

Once again, Avenger bristled at the insinuation as much as her old name. "For the _umpteenth time_ I told you not to call me tha-

His lone eye burned like a bright sapphire in the dim light as it focused upon her.

"Sit. Down." it was a growl. "Now."

She _sat._

Say what you would about his skill in battle, Naruto still possessed enough grace to at least _appear _sheepish when someone called him on his actions. Enough to make peace at least. He wasn't making peace now. His face looked all but thunderous. All the while, Gorgon watched him like a hawk. If he felt any of the fear she was currently experiencing herself in Sakura's presence, he did little to show it. He didn't need to attack anyone at all or even draw his sword. In this state, his mere presence held sway for him. Perhaps another Servant might felt the need to flail or abase themselves. He didn't.

Rather that begin with anger or even sarcasm, he merely cocked his head.

Tiamat herself would be terrified of the rage in his gaze.

Naruto folded both arms before his chest.

"Now then," He growled. "Let's _talk."_

**A/N: Medusa is best snake.**

**Poor thing's suffered enough, hasn't she?**

** It really is a blast to write Gorgon and Sakura's interactions, you know? There's just something polarizing about them in this iteration; one acknowledges that she's a monster, the other has the potential to become something WORSE. Theoretically, Sakura could go either way. Who can say? Regardless, this story is here to stay. Even if my health worsens, I'm training up a successor to take the mantle from me. Even if I live to the ripe old age of eighty, I won't be around forever. So I'm teaching whoever I can, wherever I can.**

**Well, that's enough about me. Hope you liked this chapter.**

**So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Revieeeew Would You Kindly?**

**Yar, Here Be Yer Previews!**

**Plenty of 'em!**

**0_0**

**(Preview)**

_"Someone's trying to frame you for this mess, Saber."_

_Naruto frowned. "Why warn me? I'll just smash them when I see them."_

_...because you remind me of someone dear to me." __Archer pinched the brow of her nose, her face darkening. "And like him, you can't solve everything with a sword and a smile."_

_"Can't I?" his brow rose. "By the way, you're wrong about earlier. I DO know you. You're Tomoe Gozen. You can't possibly be anyone else."_

_Much to his amusement, that serene-yet-pale face turned seven shades of scarlet. Her hands flew to her cheeks. "I...what...how did you...?!"_

_He began to count off on the the fingers of his right hand, smiling all the while. "Horns, flames, crazy archery abilities, multiple weapons..._

* * *

_She felt the darkness coming, creeping into her mind._

_"No...please...not like this..._

* * *

_"Well. You actually clean up pretty nice when you want to."_

_Gorgon's pale face turned rosy. "I WILL devour you."_

_"And I would have a problem with that...why?"_

_"NOT LIKE THAT YOU LOUT!"_

* * *

_"What do you love? What do you hate? Give me the joy of taking that from you."_

* * *

_"One down."_

**R&R~!**


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